The Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Mojisola Adeyeye has stated that the agency seized 120 tons of chemical laden animal hides and skins popularly known as “ponmo”.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday, February 20, by the DG of NAFDAC Mojisola Adeyeye.
In the statement, the agency said the large quantities of dangerous ‘Ponmo’ were intercepted at six different locations in Lagos. The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said that seven suspects allegedly involved in the act are currently under investigation.
Samples have been sent to the laboratory for testing to ascertain the quality of the products.
The statement read, “Monitoring was also extended to some buyers who patronize the sellers and custodians of the warehouse,”
“NAFDAC wishes to advise consumers and retailers of ponmo not to patronize importers of hides and skins for consumable animal skins.
“The street value of the product currently intercepted is estimated to be around N25.330m only.”
The NAFDAC DG said the hides are pre-treated with industrial chemicals which could cause health problems such as liver and kidney disease, heart damage, increased risk of aplastic anaemia, central nervous system toxicity and cancer.
“The general public is hereby encouraged to be very vigilant and exercise discretion when purchasing animal hides PONMO and indeed other food items,” Adeyeye said.
“NAFDAC is fully alive to her responsibilities of assuring the safety, wholesomeness, and quality of processed foods offered for sale to the public.”
