Kano State Public Complaint and Anti Corruption Commission (PCACC) said it has seized two trucks of maize suspected to be contaminated with mycotoxins at Dawanau grain market in Kano metropolis.
The Acting Chairman of the commission, Mr Mahmoud Balarabe, stated this at a press conference on Friday in Kano.
Balarabe said the commission had also sealed a warehouse stocked with suspected poisonous maize at the market and arrested two persons in connection with the circulation of the harmful grain.
He said the commission received an intelligence report on September16, at about 8:00 pm that some unknown persons supplied poisonous and expired maize to the market.
“Dawanau is the largest in grain market in West Africa, we don’t know where the grain will go. We mobilised our operation department to intercept the trucks conveying the grain.We also sealed a store where the toxic and expired maize kept at Dawanau market,” he said.
According to him, preliminary analysis shows that the expired maize is black in color, adding that each bag is about 90 per cent toxic and only 10 per cent non-poisonous.
He said that the maize was being supplied to a company where it would be processed for human consumption.
Balarabe said that commission would meet with leadership of the traders association in the market while investigation into the case continued.
He reiterated the commitment of the commission to check circulation of unwholesome farm produce and substandard products in the state.
The chairman urged the people of the state to provide credible information to the commission and other security agencies on unwholesome products and activities to protect public health.
One of the suspects, Musa Ibrahim, said the intercepted grain belonged to his friend, one Adamu Maigari who has been in the grain trade for the past 15 years.
(Credit: NAN)
