Consumers of the popular cow hide otherwise called ‘ponmo’ have been warned by the Lagos State government to beware of consuming the product as a some quantity of it is selling in various market in the state.
A Director of Public Affairs, in the state’s Ministry of Health, Adeola Salako, issued the caveat, warning residents of the city to be wary of consuming the product as some unscrupulous persons were selling some quantity suspected to be dangerous to heath.
He said so far, three persons had been arrested in Ojo and Iba axis of the state with the toxic ‘ponmo,’ disclosing that a large quantity of the product had been ceased and confiscated by the health agency.
According to him, some quantity of the ‘ponmon’ has so far been sent for analysis at the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) laboratory to test its suitability for human consumption.
He said: “The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, who disclosed this in his office today (Sunday) while reviewing report of preliminary investigation and enforcement carried out on the sale of the toxic ponmo in the areas, stated that the three persons involved have been charged to court, while samples of the confiscated ponmo had been sent to the NAFDAC laboratory for suitability test analysis for human consumption,” the statement said.
“Preliminary investigations and suspects tracing revealed that the traders were very active in the early hours between the hours 4.00am and 6.00am at various locations such as Volkswagen bus stop, Iyana iba, Afolabi Ege markets, all within Ojo local government and Iba local council areas of the State,” he said.
“Furthermore, a company said to be located at Ijedodo area of Iba LCDA was indicted as source of supply of this toxic Ponmo and has subsequently been put under surveillance.”