Irele deaths: Ondo govt awaits test result, natives say gods are angry

WHO says pesticide is likely cause

EVERY nation and community of people has a culture, tradition and norms that guide their conduct; no matter how odd and bizarre with the reckoning of time, it is a communal contract that binds the people to their source. Such is the fate of the people of Irele, the Ikale-speaking people of Ondo State.
Sometime last week, the social media was awash with the news of an endemic outbreak in the south senatorial district of the state, whose nature and source have defied all medical explanations, killing almost 20 youths in their prime.

Uninformed sources misrepresented the outbreak because of the strange and mysterious symptoms it manifested in the
victims, labelled it the return of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD); thereby causing a great panic in the community and evoking fears in the neighbouring communities and the international community.

According to eyewitnesses, firstly, they would complain of a slight headache, total blindness though their eyes were widely opened and thereafter gave up the ghost within a short period of time.

Though the Ondo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Dayo Adeyanju addressed the whole world that the state government was on top of the situation and without mincing words, dispelled all insinuations that the symptoms of the endemic negated all known facts about EVD.

During the first briefing with journalists in his office in Akure, he disclosed that the ministry had sent a batch of medical team who would curtail the spread of the endemic disease through Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) among the patients in the General Hospital and the people of the ancient town.

The Guardian learnt through the Press Officer to the ministry, after all efforts to reach the commissioner were to no avail, that Dr. Adeyanju just led a team including: Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), WHO, UNICEF and Federal Ministry of Health to Irele for further investigation, revealed that the ministry still awaits the result of the blood sample sent to Lagos.

On arrival from the affected area, Adeyanju and the Commissioner for Information, Kayode Akinmade, stated that they met with the families of the bereaved for further investigation, so as to get more information and unravel the mystery.

“It is no longer strange. It becomes clear to us through the preliminary report of the blood samples; it shows it is not viral to the system. What is clear now is that the disease is not contagious. Like we said yesterday, it is not Ebola. So we must eradicate all fears,” Adeyanju said.

But he revealed that there were 23 cases and 18 deaths, and in a bid to stop stigmatization among the people in the area, the survivors who still needed medical attention were referred to Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; and there are five referrals at the moment.

He appealed to members of the public to work together with the government, medical and active surveillance team by reporting new cases to the appropriate bodies, and be proactive in sensitizing the public positively on the outbreak.

Adeyanju stated that the ministry would kick-off the infectious hospital at Oda Road in Akure, so as to promptly respond to such emergencies in the state, affirming that the ministry had provided enough body-bags to keep the bodies of the deceased before they were finally buried.

Meanwhile the AFP has reported the WHO as fingering pesticides as the likely cause of Nigeria “mystery disease.” According to AFP: “Pesticide poisoning was the likely cause of the mysterious deaths of at least 18 people in a southwestern Nigerian town earlier this week, the World Health Organization said Sunday.

The “current hypothesis is cause of the event is herbicides”, WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said in a tweet.

“Tests done so far are negative for viral and bacterial infection,” he added.
However, there is another twist to the incident, as revealed by the investigation that the victims all drank local gin in a particular spot over the weekend, which dovetailed into a possibility of ethanol poison consumption prior to the ugly incident.

The Commissioner said they visited the joint where they consumed the local gin and took samples of the suspected substances in four containers for test in Lagos, in collaboration with the blood samples, before the ministry could take necessary action.

Meanwhile, people from the affected area believe that the outbreak has nothing to do with scientific knowledge and can never be unraveled through medical approach.

The Guardian, in an interaction with High Chief Ajisafe Adejute, the Ajana of Irele
Kingdom, who claimed he is a descent of the original founder of the ancient
town, confirmed the defilement of the Malokun shrine by some unscrupulous youths in the town.

Adejute, explained that the Malokun deity was the chief god of the land brought by their founding father, Ajana, from Ugbo Kingdom and since then, it has been the supernatural power behind their existence as a people.

He revealed that the deity was stolen two weeks ago, and when the priest committed to its service discovered the theft, he informed the king of the town, Oba Olarenwaju Lebi, the Olofun of Irele who summoned his chiefs and elders of the town to discover the culprits.

The source, Adejute, who is from Orunbemekun royal house and Konye
Quarters, told The Guardian that the town crier announced the disappearance of the deity and warned the people of the fatal consequences from the gods of the land.

He dispelled the rumour peddled around town that the priest of the deity was among those who stole the deity and was killed by the angry gods of the land, saying it was only those that were involved in the wicked act or refused to expose such illicit act that fell victim of the vengeance reeked on the offenders.

He advised the government to work with the Olofun of Irele, who would summon the traditional rulers, priests, the Orunbemekun and Konye family, who are the custodians and direct lineage to the deity in the land, to appease the gods and restore peace in the land.