The mysterious tragedy that claimed the lives of one Mr. Ayanam, a Landlord and his tenant after taking a dose of herbal formula mixed with local gin known as Ogogoro in Eket last week has sent underground sellers of combine for fear of the drug agency.
Our correspondent gathered that even commercial motorcyclists who patronized Ogogoro joints have gone to town informing whoever cares to hear of the danger in drinking herbal mixtures.
Last week, in a small quiet area in Eket known as Uqua, a Landlord, Mr. Ayanam and one of his tenants reportedly died a few hours after taking a dose of herbal medicine purportedly meant to cure stomach upset. It was gathered that a tenant complained to the Landlord that his two children were having stomach upset and that the Landlord offered the Local formula which consisted of dried powder in a solution of Ogogoro gin.
When our correspondent visited the scene of the incident, the eldest son of the Landlord, Mr. Ezekiel Ayanam, said his late father took the medicine along with the two sick children who had stomach pains and died a few hours later with one of the children.
“My father brought out the mixed medicine” and gave the two children, he took some and even offered their father who declined to take where did my father get such herb from”, Ezekiel said in tears.
A neighbour who pleaded anonymity said “there are so many people all over the town hawking al sorts of roots and powders claiming to cure all sorts of diseases, and nobody knows how safe and suitable they are, and these people who sell Ogogoro just keep buying those herbs for their “combine business”.
Police source in Eket Division confirmed the incident and told our correspondent that they were yet to unravel the cause of the deaths as they were getting the poisonous mixture sent to Lagos for analysis.
Meanwhile, hawkers of roots and other local herbs have since after the incident disappeared from the town and sellers of Ogogoro mixtures are facing hard times.