By Adedapo Adesanya
The Kaduna State Government and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) have warned residents of the state on the health risk of drugs allegedly looted from a warehouse last week.
In a statement issued through the state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr Samuel Aruwan, on Sunday, the food and drugs regulatory agency warned that the looted items included expired, prohibited and dangerous drugs.
NAFDAC warned that anybody who consumed such drugs and the items looted on Friday, October 24 in a warehouse located at Narayi in Chikun Local Government Area of the state risks serious illnesses and death.
The agency also quoted the management of a food processing company, whose stores were also looted in Kakuri, another area in the state, as saying that the stolen grains had been treated with chemical preservatives.
It said that such chemical preservatives had rendered the items as unsafe for consumption.
“Residents of Kaduna State are hereby notified to be vigilant and careful about the sources of the food and medications they take and where they buy them, to avoid these dangers.
“NAFDAC, on behalf of the Kaduna State government, appeals to the public for information on the identities of the looters and where they might be hiding the stolen items,” it said.
According to the NAFDAC Director-General, Mrs Mojisola Adeyeye, who expressed shock over the said looting and mindless destruction of the agency’s property at the warehouse, disclosed that there were no fatalities.
Mrs Adeyeye commended the state government for taking prompt action to safeguard the health of the citizens.
NAFDAC, however, said that it had made concerted efforts to beef up security around its facilities nationwide to forestall a recurrence of such events.
Modupe Gbadeyanka