The Nigeria Customs Service yesterday said it has sent the 102 bags
of rice suspected to be plastic to the National Agency for Food Drug
Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to carry out laboratory test on
them.
It said the laboratory test from NAFDAC would determine their next
line of action, but found yesterday that the controversial rice has
reached many Lagos markets and homes.
The Customs Public Relations Officer (PRO), Zone A, which comprises
Lagos and Ogun states, Jerry Attah, said in a telephone chat that
samples of the recovered rice had been sent to NAFDAC, the approved
government regulatory agency responsible for such matters.
Attah, an Assistant Superintendent of Customs, said the impounded
rice, named Best Tomato Rice and packed in 25kg bags, has no expiry
date, no date of production and no indication of the producers.
Some of the rice had been distributed as Christmas gift by corporate
organizations before the rice was discovered to be the much talked about
plastic rice.
And investigations around major rice markets in Lagos revealed that
several thousands of bags of Best Tomato rice are currently being sold.
At Alaba Rago, a popular deport for smuggled rice, is the presence of
several bags of Best Tomato rice in 25 kg bags. The same were seen at
Igbo-Elerin, and Agbara noted for re-bagged rice.
Operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service attached to the Federal
Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, Ikeja on Tuesday impounded about 102 bags
of plastic rice meant for distribution within the metropolis.
The bags of rice were recovered from a hidden store located in Ikeja area of Lagos.
Credit: dailytrust