Posted by Residents of Niger State have been advised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Niger State not to consume the highly toxic Aflasafe product that is purportedly being disseminated inside Minna, the capital of the state, and its environs. The warning was issued by the Ministry.
In a statement made in Minna, the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Idris Usman Gbogan, declared that the substance is unsafe for human consumption and should not be used.
“A report that has reached me says that some people are consuming the product, and apparently mistaking it for Guinea corn,” he said. A dangerous chemical, known as “aflatoxin,” is what’s called “used for control of a plant disease.”
Gbogan revealed that as soon as he received the news, he sprang into action by contacting security agencies to go into the markets on a low key operation with the aim of fishing out the distributors of the dangerous goods. Gbogan also stated that he did this immediately after receiving the report.
In addition to this, the statement disclosed that “security personnel posing as farmers went out into the fields and located some of the distributors.”
They were able to collect samples of the product, which they then brought to the laboratory for further testing. It was demonstrated that the substance in question was a very toxic chemical that was only utilized for the treatment of plant diseases and poses a significant threat to human health.
He went on to say that extension workers were already on the ground raising people’s awareness about the dangers of drinking Aflasafe, which he also mentioned.