In an effort to control the rising death toll occasioned by the death of 32 people in the state, the Rivers State government has banned the consumption of local gin popularly called Ogogoro.

DAILY POST reports that 15 people reportedly died in Bonny Island and Woji in Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas, while another 11 persons died in Gokana Local Government Area. These included seven male and four females.

The ban is believed to be due to the increasing death toll from the consumption of the local liquor and dog meat delicacy alleged to contain poisonous ethanol.

According to the Rivers State government, in a directive through the Department of Disease Control, the ban had become necessary to forestall further consumption of the toxic substance.

Director of Disease Control in the state’s Ministry of Health, Dr. Roland Obed Whyte, however expressed concern over the difficulty in getting samples of the particular gin popularly called Ogogoro or Kai-kai for thorough clinical analysis, adding that irate youths in Woji had set ablaze the shop of Friday Dickson, (aka Etiaba) where the suspected toxic gin was bought and consumed, erasing any samples of the gin.

Dr. Obed further disclosed that health officials from the ministry have been dispatched to Woji for house-to-house enlightenment on the dangers in consumption of ‘highly toxic’ local gin, adding that preliminary findings revealed that some of symptoms found in the affected victims, includes vomiting and blindness.