Four people have died and 14 others have been hospitalised after consuming a suspected poisonous herbal mixture in Oju township, the headquarters of Oju Local Government Area in Benue State, according to reports that emerged on Monday, 2 November 2026.
The herbal preparations were sold to members of the Igede community by three men – Alhaji Mai Magamani, Mohamed and Musa Kolo – during the Ihiejwo market day in Oju last weekend. The first victim died on Tuesday morning, a second on the early hours of Wednesday, and two further deaths were reported on 4 November, bringing the toll to four.
At least 14 other people are receiving medical care, some in critical condition, at the General Hospital in Oju. The community has reported that the victims were suffering similar health complications after consuming the mixture.
Following the incident, the three suspected herbal medicine sellers were arrested by the Igede Youth Council in collaboration with the Oju Local Government Township Youth leadership. They were handed over to the police, and the Oju Divisional Police Headquarters has transferred the case to the Benue State Police Command for further investigation.
Comrade John‑Frank Ozzidi, President of the Igede Youth Council, appealed to the Benue State Government for a comprehensive investigation and urged elected and appointed political representatives to follow up on the case. He praised community members for allowing security agencies to take charge rather than taking the law into their own hands.
Chairman of Oju Local Government Council, Mr Jackson Ominyi, confirmed the incident but said he could not immediately ascertain the total number of deaths. He noted that three deaths had been reported to him as of the previous day and that other victims were being treated at the General Hospital. “My people are working on that. My security secretary and security adviser are on it. The others are in the General Hospital, Oju. My health department is also taking care of them. I have tried to calm the situation down. The person selling the herbs was arrested and sent to Makurdi three days ago,” he said. Attempts to obtain comments from Police Public Relations Officer DSP Peter Aondongu were unsuccessful.
<small>Source: Daily Post Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
