The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has seized three petrol tankers allegedly used to convey edible vegetable oil in Lagos State, raising concerns about potential chemical contamination.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, NAFDAC revealed that the vegetable oil had been trans-loaded into the tankers from an edible oil depot.
The agency, alarmed by the health risks posed by the possibility of contamination from the tankers’ previous use for transporting petrol, immediately took action.
“Concerned about the potential health risks due to chemical contamination from the tankers’ previous use for transporting petrol, NAFDAC officials escorted the tankers to a processing facility in Sango-Ota. The crude soy oil was then handed over to the Southwest Zonal Office of NAFDAC for further regulatory action,” the agency stated.
In an attached video, a NAFDAC official disclosed that credible information led to the discovery that the same tankers used to load vegetable oil had been previously used to transport petroleum products.
“This is a public health issue that requires NAFDAC’s attention. That was why we immediately went to that area and we caught a truck being loaded,” the official stated.
The suspects involved were apprehended, and the tankers were seized for further investigation.
The NAFDAC official emphasized the dangers of mixing petroleum products, which are carcinogenic, with substances meant for human consumption.
He said, “The tankers can’t load vegetable oil and at the same time we are seeing tags of petrol and diesel on them.”
In response to this issue, NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Moji Adeyeye, has established a committee to develop guidelines and a code of ethics for the marketing and distribution of edible vegetable oils in Nigeria.
The agency urged the public to report any suspicious or unwholesome practices related to food and regulated products.