The Aporia · Almost 50 dead in Nigeria after drinking alcohol suspected to contain methanol

Almost 50 dead in Nigeria after drinking alcohol suspected to contain methanol

Read the original at The Guardian ↗

Cite

APA MLA Chicago

Associated Press. (2026, September 18). Almost 50 dead in Nigeria after drinking alcohol suspected to contain methanol. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/18/nigeria-deaths-suspected-methanol-alcohol-brew-drink

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

Quick Summary

In southern Nigeria, at least 48 people have died and about 100 others are being treated after drinking locally brewed alcohol suspected of containing methanol. The incident affected a total of 182 individuals in the Odigbo and Irele local government areas of Ondo state. Local authorities arrested 15 people in connection with the deaths, including one person involved in producing substances believed to contain methanol. The popular herbal drink "Monkey Tail" is suspected as the source, though there are safe and unsafe versions of it available in the market.

Written by AI on 2026-09-18, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

At least 48 people died and about 100 others were hospitalized in southern Nigeria after consuming a locally brewed alcoholic drink suspected to contain methanol, known as "Monkey Tail." The incident occurred in the Odigbo and Irele local government areas of Ondo state, affecting an estimated total of 182 individuals, according to health officials. Drinking homemade alcohol is common in rural Nigeria due to affordability and lack of regulation, leading to cases like this where unsafe concoctions can cause severe harm or death. Methanol poisoning causes organ failure and blindness; one victim, Sola Adebayo, reported losing his vision after consuming the drink. Fifteen people have been arrested by police for their roles in producing and selling the tainted beverage, highlighting ongoing challenges with regulating local alcohol production in Nigeria.

Written for “Nigeria Alcohol Poisoning Crisis” on 2026-10-30, grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 17% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

Methanol-tainted Nigeria drink kills 48, 182 made ill: government Same event

South China Morning Post

Hedges 0 of 4 claims Outlet record 64/100

How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted

sentences that state something as happening or true

Uncertain

17%

2 of 12 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

Leaning

not political

takes no side on a contested political question

Publisher signals

66/100

The Guardian's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.

Outlets on this story

Health

Same framing elsewhere

articles that frame the event the way this one does

Analyzed 2026-09-18 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability

Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

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Running correction rate · 6 correction(s)

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Who wrote this

Associated Press

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Wire or desk byline, not an individual reporter.

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Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 573 articles by Associated Press →

Topics

Irele Monkey Tail Nigeria Odigbo Ondo

Subjects

Nigeria GPE · 3× Odigbo GPE · 2× Ondo GPE · 2× Abayomi Jimoh PERSON · 1× Ajaka PERSON · 1× Banji Ajaka PERSON · 1× Irele GPE · 1× Sola Adebayo PERSON · 1× TVC News ORG · 1× The Associated Press ORG · 1×

Narrative

A trader who sells the concoction in Odigbo, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of being arrested, told the AP there are two versions of Monkey Tail: an original, safe version, and another version which is unsafe.

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-18

🔮 On Saturday, I noticed that I could not see,” 32-year-old Sola Adebayo told the local TVC News channel from a hospital bed.

2026-09-18 · The Guardian

Almost 50 dead in Nigeria after drinking alcohol suspected to contain methanol · assertive framing

Claims (12 extracted, 2 hedged)

At least 48 people have died and about 100 others are receiving treatment in southern Nigeria after consuming a locally brewed alcoholic concoction suspected to contain methanol, officials said on Thursday. asserted

officials → die → Thursday

Banji Ajaka, Ondo state’s commissioner for health, said the cases had been reported in the Odigbo and Irele local government areas. asserted

cases → say → areas

A total of 182 people are believed to have been affected and some are being treated in the hospital, he said. asserted

he → believe → hospital

“I took like two shots and I went out on Friday. asserted

I → take → Friday

On Saturday, I noticed that I could not see,” 32-year-old Sola Adebayo told the local TVC News channel from a hospital bed. uncertain

Adebayo → notice → bed

Drinking locally made alcohol is common in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, especially in rural areas where it is more affordable and poorly regulated. “This thing happened rapidly. asserted

thing → drink → areas

Once they consume, depending on the quantity, the kidneys will pack up, the eyes will go, the brain will be damaged,” Ajaka told The Associated Press, speaking about the drink. asserted

Ajaka → consume → drink

Ondo state police spokesperson Abayomi Jimoh said in a statement that 15 people were arrested in connection with the incident, including one allegedly “involved in the production of substances suspected to contain methanol and is currently assisting the police with investigations.” uncertain

people → say → investigations

Locals told the AP they suspected a popular herbal drink with high alcohol content, known as “Monkey Tail,” was mixed with methanol, causing the deaths. asserted

drink → tell → deaths

which → sell → Tail

Local media reports said the first death was reported nearly two weeks ago. asserted

death → say → ?

Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control is now enforcing a nationwide ban on alcohol in sachets and small plastic containers, which it said are easily accessible to children and young people. asserted

it → enforce → children