Three persons have been arrested in connection with the sale of poisonous cowhide otherwise known as “ponmo” in Lagos markets.
The arrest was made known on Sunday by the Director of Public Affairs, Ministry of Health, Lagos State, Adeola Salako.
Salako made the disclosure just as he warned members of the public against buying the poisonous “ponmo”.
In a statement he issued, Salako said the three persons were involved in the sale of the poisonous “ponmo” in Ojo and Iba local government areas of the state.
He said the “ponmo” which was in large quantity had been seized and samples sent to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, to test their suitability for consumption.
“The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, who disclosed this in his office today (Sunday) while reviewing report of preliminary investigation and enforcement carried out on the sale of the toxic ponmo in the areas, stated that the three persons involved have been charged to court, while samples of the confiscated ponmo had been sent to the NAFDAC laboratory for suitability test analysis for human consumption,” the statement reads in part.
“Preliminary investigations and suspects tracing revealed that the traders were very active in the early hours between the hours 4.00am and 6.00am at various locations such as Volkswagen bus stop, Iyana Iba, Afolabi Ege Markets, all within Ojo local government and Iba local council areas of the State.
“Furthermore, a company said to be located at ijedodo area of Iba LCDA was indicted as source of supply of this toxic Ponmo and has subsequently been put under surveillance,” the statement reads further.
