Edo State Trader Arrested for Using Insecticide on Beans

A food trader at Ekiosa Market in Benin City, Edo State, has been arrested for allegedly applying a chemical insecticide known as Sniper to beans meant for public sale. The arrest took place during a routine enforcement monitoring exercise led by Comrade Osaro Iyamu, chairman of the Edo State Consumer Protection Committee.

Committee officials reported that the trader was caught in the act of using the chemical inside his shop. Following the apprehension, the suspect was handed over to officers from the St. Saviour Police Division for further questioning and custody.

The committee confirmed that samples of the contaminated beans have been seized and sent for laboratory testing to assess the level of chemical contamination. In light of this incident, consumer protection authorities have issued a stern warning to food vendors against the use of hazardous chemicals on agricultural products, emphasizing that the investigation is ongoing.