NAN-AE-4
Adulteration
By Muhammad Nasir Bashir
Dutse, Oct. 26, 2017 (NAN) Jigawa State Consumer Protection Committee has foiled an attempt to adulterate 17 sacks of sesame seed at Babura Market in Babura Local Government Area, the Chairman, Alhaji Farouk Abdallah, has said.
Abdallah confirmed the development to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse on Thursday.
He said a man was arrested while trying to smuggle 17 bags of sesame husks into Babura Market for the purpose of adulterating the seeds.
The chairman said the suspect was arrested after he brought the husks from Sandami Local Government Area of Katsina State in a car.
He said that the suspect and the confiscated items had been handed over to the police for further investigation.
Abdallah said it was regrettable that some people engaged in selling adulterated food items, particularly sesame seeds, to the public.
“Intelligence report shows that many people have developed the habit of selling adulterated food items, such as sesame oil, “zobo” (hibiscus leaves) leaves and many more.
“These people are not mindful of the effects of such adulterated items on human beings.
“So, we are doing this in order to sanitise the business environment and ensure accuracy in all commercial transactions in the state,” Abdallah said.
According to him, part of the committee’s responsibilities is to ensure that the state is safe from all forms of adulterated foods.
The chairman said the committee would ensure that drugs and medical items consumed in the state came from genuine manufacturers and producers.
He said the committee would not relent in its efforts to sanitise all commercial activities in the state.
He urged traders to cooperate with the committee in its effort to ensure that dubious elements among them were fished out and punished.
NAN recalls that the committee in 2016 seized and burnt goods worth N2.5 million in Gujungu International Market in Taura Local Government Area of the state.
The items destroyed included 40 sacks of hibiscus leaves used in producing zobo, a local drink and 60 sacks of adulterated animal feed.
Others were 86 sacks of adulterated sesame seeds and four sacks of sharp sand used in adulterating sesame seeds. (NAN)
MNB/MOL/JCE
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Edited by Mustapha Lamidi/Chukwudi Ekezie