NAFDAC Seizes Three Petrol Tankers Used to Transport Edible Oil in Lagos

 

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has intercepted and seized three petrol tankers that were being used to convey edible vegetable oil in Lagos State.

The seizure, which has raised significant public health concerns, was announced by the agency on Wednesday via a post on the social media platform X.

According to NAFDAC, the crude soy oil was trans-loaded into the petrol tankers from an edible oil depot.

The agency expressed grave concern over the potential health risks associated with chemical contamination due to the tankers’ prior use for transporting petroleum products.

Following the seizure, NAFDAC officials escorted the tankers to a processing facility in Sango-Ota, where the crude soy oil was handed over to the Southwest Zonal Office of the agency for further regulatory action.

In an attached video showing one of the seized tankers, a NAFDAC official detailed the circumstances leading to the seizure.

The official revealed that credible information indicated the tankers, previously used for loading petroleum products, were now being employed to transport vegetable oil.

“This is a public health issue that requires NAFDAC’s immediate attention,” the official stated. “That was why we promptly intervened and caught a truck in the act of being loaded with vegetable oil.”

The suspects involved in the operation were apprehended, and the tankers were taken into custody for further investigation. The official underscored the severity of the situation, noting the dangers posed by the potential mixing of petroleum products, which are carcinogenic and unsafe for human consumption.

In response to the incident, NAFDAC’s Director-General, Professor Moji Adeyeye, has established a committee to draft new guidelines and a code of ethics for the marketing and distribution of edible vegetable oils in Nigeria.

The agency also urged the public to report any suspicious or unwholesome practices related to food and regulated products.