Ebonyi State Government seals off Abakaliki Rice mill over poison threat

The Ebonyi State Government sealed off the Abakaliki Rice Mill Limited on Tuesday, August 28,following information on alleged infiltration of poisoned and adulterated rice into the mill.

Dr Kenneth Ugbala, the governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Internal Security announced the state government’s decision at a news briefing stating that the closure was with immediate effect.

Ugbala noted that the state executive council received the news of the poisoned and adulterated rice with shock and deliberated extensively on it to save lives of citizens.

He said: ” The ministry of Environment which first received the report informed us that the products are not fit for human consumption and following the information, the SEC subsequently directed concerned Ministries, Departments and Agencies of health, agriculture, commerce and industry, and internal security to seal the rice mill for full investigations to be carried out.

He further stated that: ” The primary aim of every government is to protect the lives of its citizens, as we we want to prevent unsuspecting citizens from purchasing such products ”.

Also speaking on the situation, the state’s commissioner for information and orientation, Emmanuel Onwe, noted that the government did not know the source from where the products infiltrated the market and the type of poison involved.

“We do not know whether they are rat or other types of poisons but the commissioner for environment quickly dispatched a team to the mill on receiving the news of the infiltration. The team confiscated some supplies of the product and they had labels of not for for human consumption boldly written on them ”, he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the SSA on internal security and other authorities involved in the sealing left the EXCO chambers immediately to carry out the directives.