NAFDAC arrests suspects for adulteration of chemicals

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Niger has arrested two suspects in Mokwa Local Government Area of the state over alleged adulteration of agro-chemicals.

Aniko Ibrahim, the state coordinator of NAFDAC, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna on Monday.

“Before now, we have been getting bad reports about adulteration of agrochemicals in Niger State,” he said.

”Therefore, we decided to set up a surveillance team to monitor them and eventually it yielded a positive result.”

“The two suspects involved were apprehended within their facility in Mokwa Local Government Area of the state last week,” he added.

Mr Ibrahim said the suspects include Jibrin Abubakar, the chairman of Agrochemicals Dealers Association in the area and Babangida Ado.

He said that the suspects were involved in adulteration of agrochemicals such as herbicides and pesticides in large quantity.

“The quantity of suspected adulterated agrochemicals we found on the ground was so much that we had to hire a truck to evacuate them,” he said.

The NAFDAC coordinator said that the suspects confessed to have been doing the illicit business for five years now.

Mr Ibrahim said the successful operation was supported by the police division in the area.

“We took a big risk because the operation turned out to be a night operation with the police,” he said.

He said that the suspected adulterated agrochemicals have been taken to the laboratory for further investigation and analysis.

Mr Ibrahim added that the suspects have been transferred to its North-West Enforcement and Investigation Directorate in Kaduna. (NAN)