38 dead from drinking fake 'ogogoro' gin

At least about 38 people have been recorded dead across Rivers State from the consumption of fake gin, popularly known as 'ogogoro', the state Health Ministry confirmed.

The ministry said ten out of eleven persons that took the gin in Obio-Akpor area died, in Bonny area, seventeen out of eighteen died while in Gokhana Local Government Area, eleven out of thirteen persons died.

The ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Somieari Isaac Harry, dispelled the rumours that the victims died as a result of dog meat.

Harry called on the Port Harcourt residents to desist from taking the bad gin until its supply is totally stamped out from the state since there are no measures to differentiate between the original gin from the one produced from etarnor.