Ondo State Government has commenced moves to investigate the deaths linked to the alleged consumption of harmful herbal and alcoholic concoctions, with the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Olukayode Ajulo, SAN, saying a coroner’s inquest has been requested to determine the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
Ajulo disclosed this in Akure on Sunday, saying he had formally written to the Chief Judge of the state seeking the constitution of a Coroner’s Court to investigate the deaths and establish their immediate and remote causes.
According to him, the inquest would go beyond determining how the victims died to establish whether the incident could have been prevented and identify measures required to avert a recurrence.
The commissioner said the government was also reviewing the regulatory framework governing the preparation, production, distribution, sale and consumption of locally produced herbal and alcoholic products.
He explained that the review was aimed at identifying loopholes in the existing regulatory system and introducing appropriate legislative, regulatory and administrative measures within the state’s jurisdiction.
Ajulo said the review had actually begun before the latest incident, noting that stakeholders and concerned citizens had earlier submitted a draft regulatory framework to his office. He added that journalist Goke Oluwole, who had experience in the regulation of the sector, was among those who contributed to the proposal.
The Attorney-General warned that anyone found criminally responsible would face the law, stressing that no individual would be protected because of status or influence, while those accused would also be accorded due process.
He said, “Our response will therefore rest on three commitments: truth, accountability and prevention. We must establish the truth for the families who mourn, ensure accountability where responsibility is established and strengthen our systems so that other families are spared this kind of grief.”
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