Posted by Residents of Minna, the State capital, and its surrounding areas have been advised by the Niger State Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development not to consume the highly deadly Aflasafe product.
In a statement released in Minna, Permanent Secretary Dr. Idris Usman Gbogan claimed the product is unsafe for human consumption.
Some people are swallowing it, allegedly mistaking it for Guinea corn, according to a report that has reached him. Aflatoxin is a lethal chemical used to treat a blight on plants.
Gbogan revealed that, upon receiving the news, he took immediate action by coordinating with security services to conduct a covert operation in the marketplaces in an effort to track down and arrest the people responsible for distributing the dangerous goods.
The statement also disclosed that “the security personnel in disguise went to the fields and tracked down some of the distributors.”
They collected specimens of the product for laboratory testing. It showed that the product was an extremely toxic chemical used only to treat plant diseases and that it should never be ingested by humans.
He also added that extension agents were already in the field trying to educate people about the risks of Aflasafe.