Herbal drink kills 10 Nigerians from the same family

Ten members of the same family in western Nigeria’s state of Kwara have died after drinking a herbal concoction as traditional medicine, the police say.

The incident happened in the village of Biogberu after two men allegedly approached a woman who had a foot infection and offered the herbal concoction to her as a cure.

But they allegedly gave a condition that all members of her family must consume the concoction to prevent the spread of the foot disease among them.

In a statement on Wednesday, the police spokesperson in Kwara state, Okasanmi Ajayi, said all those who took the herbs later died.

He told the BBC that “at the last count 10 members of the family have died” including the first patient.

Mr Ajayi added that the youngest of the victims was a two-year-old baby and the oldest was 40.

The police say the two suspects have been arrested and investigations are under way. It’s not yet clear whether they are known traditional healers in the remote community.

Many Nigerians particularly in rural areas rely on poorly regulated traditional medicines for treatment of various ailments due to illiteracy, cultural beliefs and poverty.

The country’s healthcare system is also dilapidated.