Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
Three people have died and 14 others hospitalised after consuming suspected poisonous herbal preparations sold to residents of the Igede community in Oju Local Government Area of Benue State.
Four of the hospitalised victims are in critical condition at the General Hospital, Oju, where the affected residents are receiving medical attention.
The incident occurred following the sale of the herbal mixtures by three men during the Ihiejwo market day in Oju Township last weekend.
An eyewitness identified as Ogbu named the suspected sellers as Alhaji Sule Mai Magani, Bello Mohamed and Musa Kala, alleging that they sold the preparations to residents who subsequently fell ill after consuming them.
Ogbu said panic broke out in the community on Monday, November 2, 2026, after several people who had purchased the mixtures began experiencing similar symptoms.
He explained that the first victim died on Tuesday morning, while the second died in the early hours of Wednesday. A third person died on Thursday.
According to the eyewitness, 14 other residents who consumed the herbal preparations were taken to the General Hospital in Oju, with four of them in critical condition.
The Chairman of Oju Local Government Area, Jackson Ominyi, confirmed the incident on Friday, stating that the three suspected sellers had been arrested and transferred to the Benue State Police Command headquarters in Makurdi.
“Yes, but up till now, I have not got the exact number of those who died yet, but the number so far is three as of yesterday (Thursday).
“Several others are currently receiving treatment at the General Hospital in Oju and the persons selling the herbs have been arrested and sent to Makurdi,” Ominyi said.
He added that the local government was taking steps to ensure that the hospitalised victims received adequate care.
However, the police had yet to officially confirm the incident as of Friday. Efforts to obtain comments from the police spokesperson, DSP Peter Aondongu, were unsuccessful, as his telephone line was unreachable and he did not respond to a text message.
The Benue herbal mixture incident comes barely two months after a similar tragedy in Ondo State, where at least 48 people died and 182 others were affected after consuming a locally brewed herbal alcoholic drink contaminated with toxic industrial methanol.
The September 2026 incident affected communities in Odigbo Local Government Area, including Araromi-Obu and Odigbo town.
