AKURE, Nigeria — Ondo State Police Command officers have arrested Oloruntoba Babatunde, a man suspected of producing a lethal herbal liquid substance linked to multiple deaths in Araromi-Obu and Odigbo communities within Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The Ondo State Police Command Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, disclosed the arrest in a statement released on Monday, September 14, 2026. Okay News reports that DSP Abayomi Jimoh confirmed Oloruntoba Babatunde, also known as “Meko,” is in custody for allegedly manufacturing liquid mixtures suspected to contain methanol.
Security operatives seized substances suspected to be methanol during the operation, which have been forwarded for forensic examination to determine their precise chemical composition and verify their connection to the fatalities. Ondo State Police Command officers also arrested 14 additional individuals for violating a local government ban prohibiting the sale and consumption of herbal products across the affected areas.
The 14 suspects apprehended for selling and consuming herbal drinks at various locations include Ayemobola Abayomi, Ebeyilo Oyekan, Fadeyi Folake, Febisola Solomon, Olamojiba Akinyosoye, Julius Ogeichi, Seyifunmi Aduke, Adesanmi Toyin, Oluwoye Amaka, Adeyayi Ojo, Adebayo Olaniyi, Raphael Emeka, Adenuga Oluwaseun, and Adediwura Godwin.
Prior to the arrests, reports indicated that no fewer than 29 residents died and approximately 60 others required hospitalisation after consuming the herbal concoctions. Medical personnel have intensified health interventions, transferring numerous youths from the impacted communities to the Odigbo Local Government medical facility for assessment, testing, and treatment.
A team of detectives visited Araromi-Obu on September 12, 2026, to gather evidence and advance investigative activities. The Ondo State Police Command has transferred the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Akure for further investigation, while post-mortem procedures continue on the deceased to determine the official causes of death.
