70 People Officially Dead From The Consumption of Ogogoro In Rivers State.

The Rivers State Government said on Sunday

that 70 of the 80 persons who took

contaminated local gin, also known as Ogogoro,

earlier this month, died.

Nnanna Onyekwere, the Director Public Health

Services, Rivers Ministry of Health, told the

News Agency of Nigeria in Port Harcourt on

Sunday that two of the survivors had visual

impairment. He said the cases were reported in

Woji and Gokana communities in the state.

“So far, in the past one week, we have

not had any more deaths or new cases.

The situation has been under control.

“In the beginning, it started somewhere in

Woji and by the time we had the last

count, we had about 80 persons tracked

down, who took the drink, out of which

70 had died.

“The rest survived while two had visual

impairment as a result of the drink,’’ he

said.

According to Mr. Onyekwere, the state

government had liaised with the relevant

stakeholders, especially dealers of the local gin,

to educate and enlighten the people on current

happenings.

“The state has done so much already. We

started with public enlightenment with

grassroot mobilization in collaboration

with the National Orientation Agency and

Road Transport Workers.

“Luckily, with the Federal Government’s

announcement banning the gin, NAFDAC

and the police are now working with us .

We have achieved success in terms of

control,” he said.

Mr. Onyekwere said the state government had

done a line listing of those affected, getting their

level of disability or those who lost somebody

because government wanted to assist them.

Something should be done about all this fake ogogoro manufactures, in other to save innocent Nigerians