Rita Odafe
Recently, the Lagos State Task Force arrested eight individuals for vending tainted turkey that had been confiscated by the Nigeria Customs Service and tossed away.
The agency’s spokesperson, Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, revealed in a statement that during an operation in Epe, they stumbled upon numerous containers filled with spoiled turkey, which had been incinerated by the Nigeria Customs Service and somehow made its way into the possession of unscrupulous elements attempting to sell it to the public.
Acting on tips from Lagos State House of Assembly member Rasheed Shabi and Epe’s Oloja, Oba Kamorudeen Animashaun, Task Force officers swiftly took action, raided the shanties near the landfill site, and nabbed eight suspects in possession of some of the tainted turkeys along with dangerous weapons.
Oba Kamorudeen praised the prompt response of the Lagos State Task Force to the situation, emphasizing that if left unaddressed, it could trigger a widespread health crisis.
He stated: “I am relieved that this threat has been averted before it escalated. With the ongoing challenge of cholera outbreaks in various parts of the city, we must prevent such incidents from worsening the situation. It is our duty to safeguard the public and prevent malicious actors from causing chaos for their personal gain.”
CSP Adetayo Akerele, the Agency’s Chairman who supervised the raid, pointed out that products seized by the Nigeria Customs Service must have failed to meet health and safety standards at some point, resulting in their disposal at a designated dumpsite due to being unfit for human consumption.
“We cannot allow misguided individuals to reintroduce condemned products back into the market. Consuming such contaminated foods poses severe health risks like cancer, lung, or liver diseases. Protecting the residents of Lagos is our top priority,” he emphasized.
Akerele confirmed that all the tainted goods were confiscated and taken to the agency’s headquarters, while the arrested suspects will face legal charges in court.
