At least three people have reportedly died while 14 others are receiving treatment following suspected poisoning linked to herbal mixtures consumed by residents of the Igede community in Oju Local Government Area of Benue State.

The affected persons allegedly purchased the preparations from three men hawking herbal products during the Ihiejwo market day in Oju Township last weekend.

An eyewitness identified as Ogbu said the suspected sellers were Alhaji Sule Mai Magani, Bello Mohamed and Musa Kala.

According to him, panic broke out in the community on Monday, November 2, after several residents who had consumed the mixtures began experiencing similar symptoms.

Ogbu said the first victim died on Tuesday morning, the second in the early hours of Wednesday, while another died on Thursday.

He added that 14 other consumers had been admitted to the General Hospital in Oju, with four reportedly in critical condition.

Confirming the incident, the Chairman of Oju Local Government Area, Jackson Ominyi, said the suspected sellers had been arrested and transferred to the Benue State Police Command headquarters in Makurdi.

Ominyi, however, noted that he had yet to establish the exact number of fatalities, although three deaths had been reported as of Thursday.

He said the local government was making efforts to ensure that those receiving treatment were properly cared for.

Efforts to obtain comments from the state police command spokesperson, DSP Peter Aondongu, were unsuccessful, as he could not be reached by telephone and did not respond to a text message.

The incident has raised fresh concerns over the sale and consumption of unregulated herbal preparations, following a similar tragedy in Ondo State in September.

In that incident, the consumption of a locally prepared herbal alcoholic drink suspected to have been contaminated with toxic industrial methanol was linked to 48 deaths and 182 cases of illness, according to figures released by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.