Customs detect chemical lead in bags of Indian made rice

The Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, of the Nigeria Customs Service, on Thursday, raised the alarm over the presence of bags of poisonous rice in circulation in some markets in Lagos, Ogun and Oyo States.

This is even as it said it intercepted a total of 12 different types of contraband items with a cumulative duty paid value (DPV) of N533.2 Billion which were being smuggled into Nigeria by those it described as economic sabotuers.

The Acting Controller in

Charge of FOU, Zone A, Hussein Kehinde Ejibunu, who raised the alarm of the presence of bags of poisonous rice in circulation at a press conference, held yesterday in Lagos, explained that over 1000 bags of Simba rice which were smuggled into the country from neighbouring Republic of Benin, were found to contains high levels of lead which pose health risks to Nigerians.

Specifically, Ejibunu said the lead content in the rice is particularly more harmful to infants and children, who are especially sensitive to lead’s effects, and adults who consume the poisonous rice.

According to the Acting Controller, the bags of rice were imported from India to Benin Republic, but smuggled into Nigeria through different unapproved routes in Lagos, Ogun and Oyo States.

He said: “Pursuant to the federal government’s policy that encourages local production of rice against the importation of foreign parboiled rice. This Unit had seized 7,259 (of 50 kg each) bags of rice an equivalent of over twelve (12) trucks load.