By Chinyere Amalu

ABUJA —  The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has clamped down on   six peddlers of illegal chemical substances in Lokoja, Kogi State.

The agency which inspected some areas of the Lokoja metropolis sealed up several shops where drums of an unnamed substance was sold to the public.

Explaining the aim of the exercise, the head of the agency in the state, Mr. John Okwori, said it was meant to sanitise the city against those who exploit the public by selling chemicals that might be harmful to them.

His words, “most of the peddlers were selling chemicals which might be ethanol, but unfortunately not registered with the agency.

“This product in some quarters is known as ‘Kaikai’, local gin or in some places ‘ogogoro’, and sold freely across the country.

“It is also a violation of the law to sell any chemical product without first registering it with NAFDAC, who in turn will control and regulate the product on the market to avoid repeated cases of acid bath.
He noted that some of these have caused many deaths, saying “some even used it for acid baths, we as an agency are not going to allow them kill Nigerians with chemicals, all these illegal acts must stop, and the public needs to help us, by reporting these criminals to the nearest police station or any NAFDAC office”.