The Ondo State Government on Wednesday confirmed the deaths of some people in Odigbo Local Government Area of the state following the consumption of a herbal liquid substance.

No fewer than 24 residents of two communities in the council area, Araromi Obu and Odigbo town, reportedly lost their lives after consuming the substance.

The incident, which was said to have occurred on Saturday, has thrown the affected communities into mourning.

A source in the area said the deceased consumed the substance on Saturday at different locations but later became unconscious, leading to their deaths, while some others who also consumed the substance were rushed to the hospital.

The source said, “They (the deceased) drank the herbal substance and started dying, eight people died in Araromi Obu while 16 lost their lives in Odigbo town but we are yet to confirm if it is what they drank that killed them but we are sure that the people died after drinking the herbal drinks.

“Some of the people died in their sleep while some died when they got home and many are still in the hospital as I am talking to you.”

Confirming the incident in a telephone interview, the Chairman of Odigbo Local Government, Mr Taiwo Adegoroye, said the deceased consumed the substance before the incident, adding that they were waiting for a medical team to carry out autopsies to determine the actual cause of the deaths.

Adegoroye said, “We can confirm the death of 24 people, eight in Araromi Obu and 16 in Odigbo town and many are still on admission at hospitals. But we are yet to ascertain the cause of the death and we are still waiting for the team from the state Ministry of Health to carry out the test on the deceased. That is why we can’t specifically say the real cause.”

The chairman also said he had placed a ban on the sale and consumption of locally brewed alcoholic drinks in the area as a precautionary measure.

According to him, a preliminary verbal autopsy conducted by the local government health team indicated a possible link between the reported deaths and the consumption of the substances.

In the same vein, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Ajaka, also confirmed the incident in a telephone interview, saying investigations were underway to establish the actual cause of the deaths.

Ajaka did not immediately disclose the specific substance suspected to have caused the deaths, but said medical and health officials would conduct further assessments in the affected communities.

“The government is taking the matter seriously and we will provide more details after the ongoing investigation has established the circumstances surrounding the incident.”

Meanwhile, some youths in the town staged a mini protest and went to the palace of the Odigbo traditional ruler to demand explanations and urgent measures to prevent further loss of life.

Addressing the youths, the monarch of the town, Oba Rufus Akinrinmade, appealed for calm and assured them that efforts would be made to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the deaths and find a lasting solution to the situation.

The Benue Police Command says it has arrested 46 persons allegedly involved in the obstruction of the movement of Mr Peter Obi during his visit to the state on Tuesday, Sept. 8.

The Commissioner of Police (CP), Cletus Nwadiogbu, made the disclosure on Wednesday in Makurdi while addressing journalists on the incident.

Nwadiogbu said the command was informed of Obi’s visit at about 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 7, prompting it to deploy adequate security, including three police escort vehicles and personnel led by an Assistant Commissioner of Police.

He said Obi’s movement was subsequently obstructed by a group of persons, creating tension and a situation that could have degenerated into violence.

According to him, the police made a professional and tactical decision not to use force immediately in order to prevent possible loss of lives and destruction of property.

He said Obi was eventually escorted safely back to the airport and departed the state peacefully.

The commissioner stressed that the tactical decision should not be mistaken for police inaction, saying the command immediately commenced intelligence-led operations to identify those responsible.

He said the command has so far arrested 46 suspects in connection to the crime.

“Key arrests have been made, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend all other persons connected with the incident,” he said.

Nwadiogbu said the command remained a neutral and professional institution, adding that every Nigerian had the right to freedom of movement irrespective of political affiliation, status or personal belief.

“No individual or group has the right to unlawfully obstruct another person’s movement,” he said.

The commissioner further disclosed that the investigation was ongoing and that those found culpable would be dealt with in accordance with the law.

He urged members of the public to remain calm and allow the police to conclude their investigation.

Nwadiogbu further explained that the visit had been presented to him as a non-campaign visit to families affected by the Yelwata crisis.

He said Obi’s representatives had indicated that only a small number of persons would accompany him, prompting the command to provide enhanced VIP security.

The commissioner also said he was personally handling a separate security crisis involving road blockades around Taka and Guma when he received information about the obstruction of Obi’s convoy.

He said the command had deployed undercover personnel to identify those responsible for the incident and establish their motives.

Nwadiogbu warned that with the country approaching a sensitive political period ahead of the 2027 elections, security agencies would not allow actions capable of escalating tensions to go unchecked.

He assured residents that the police would continue to act professionally while enforcing the law and protecting lives and property. (NAN)

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested and repatriated a 52-year-old fugitive, Festus Ibewuike, also known as Chidibest Ibewuike, over his alleged connection with a 49.70-kilogramme heroin consignment intercepted at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, in 2024.

NDLEA disclosed that Ibewuike was arrested at an airport in Cotonou, Benin Republic, on September 2, 2026, following more than two years of attempts to apprehend him.
49.70kg heroin: Fugitive drug kingpin, Festus Ibewuike, arrested after years on the run
He was subsequently handed over to NDLEA operatives on September 4 through collaboration with the Nigerian and Beninese bureaux of the International Criminal Police Organisation and brought back to Nigeria to face prosecution. NigerianBusiness Directory
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NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday.

Hard drugs impounded by NDLEA operatives

According to Babafemi, the case dates back to February 2024, when NDLEA operatives at the Lagos airport intercepted 49.70kg of heroin concealed inside cartons containing metal-cutting machines at the cargo terminal’s Import Shed.

The agency described the seizure as the largest single heroin consignment it had recorded at the airport.

According to the NDLEA, the discovery followed a coordinated operation lasting 12 days and resulted in the arrest of several alleged members of the trafficking network.

Among those arrested was Ibewuike’s wife, Confidence Ndidiamaka Ibewuike, whom investigators alleged regularly received drug consignments bearing the code “ND” on behalf of her husband.

The agency said investigations into the alleged syndicate also resulted in 107 bank accounts being frozen and properties linked to the group forfeited.

The allegations against defendants who have not been convicted remain subject to determination by the courts.

Following the investigation, several suspects were arraigned before Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, in Charge No. FHC/L/205C/2024.

The NDLEA disclosed that three defendants — Adinnu Felix Chinedu, Osita Emmanuel Obinna and Uzochukwu Frankline — have since been convicted and sentenced.

Three others, Chidiebere Reginald Peter, Confidence Ndidiamaka Ibewuike and Igbokwuputa Onyinye Ireene, are still standing trial, according to the agency.

Ibewuike, Osita Chidozie Cyril and a suspect identified only as Arinze were charged in absentia after they could not be apprehended at the time.

The NDLEA alleged that Ibewuike relocated to Mozambique, where he ran a hotel business while evading Nigerian law enforcement.

Investigators further claimed that he occasionally travelled between Mozambique and Nigeria through neighbouring Benin Republic.

According to the agency, intelligence about his movements eventually led to his arrest in Cotonou on September 2.

NDLEA said it subsequently worked with INTERPOL authorities in Nigeria and Benin Republic to complete the transfer of custody, with a team of its operatives travelling to Cotonou on September 4 to receive him.

During preliminary questioning following his return, the agency said the suspect confirmed his identity and disclosed that he had changed his name from Chidibest Ibewuike to Festus Ibewuike.

The NDLEA added that it took Ibewuike to its Central Exhibit Store in Ikoyi on September 5.

There, according to the agency, he identified parcels of heroin carrying the “ND” marking which investigators had linked to him.

These claims form part of the NDLEA’s investigation and would be subject to the judicial process.
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The anti-narcotics agency further said its investigation uncovered Ibewuike’s alleged association with an earlier case involving the seizure of 40.255kg of methamphetamine.
The case, Charge No. FHC/L/203C/2013, was heard before Justice Hadiza Rabiu Shagari of the Federal High Court in Lagos.

According to the NDLEA, the proceedings involved one Chidi Ihedioha, who was eventually convicted in 2023.
The agency did not state in its Wednesday statement that Ibewuike himself was convicted in connection with that earlier case.

Reacting to Ibewuike’s arrest, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the development as a significant breakthrough in the agency’s efforts to apprehend wanted drug suspects.

“This arrest is a major breakthrough in our resolve to track down and bring to justice every drug baron who thinks that fleeing Nigeria’s shores puts them beyond the reach of the law,” Marwa said.

He warned other suspects wanted by the agency that leaving the country would not end efforts to bring them before the courts.

“As I have always vowed, the long arm of the NDLEA will catch up with anyone involved in this illicit trade, no matter how long it takes or how far they run,” he added.

Referring specifically to the latest case, Marwa said, “Festus Ibewuike ran for over two years, hiding under a change of name and a new life abroad, but today he is back in Nigeria to answer for the 49.70kg heroin seizure linked to his network.”

He added that the arrest should serve as a warning to other wanted suspects, saying, “The Agency will not relent until every one of you is brought to book.”

Marwa also commended the cooperation between Nigerian and Beninese authorities, particularly the INTERPOL National Central Bureaus in both countries, for facilitating Ibewuike’s arrest and transfer to Nigeria.