Its Head of Media Unit of NAQS, Dr. Chigozie Nwodo, in a statement said Isegbe lamented that it was very alarming that a notoriously lethal substance has become a pesticide of choice for storage of beans in the country.
Isegbe said: “The substance in question is an organophosphate called 2,2-dichlorovinyl dimethyl phosphate (DDVP) which is dangerous to health if misapplied as a pesticide. It is capable of causing death if inhaled or ingested in sufficient quantities. This is because the compound can bind to the lung or kidney and may become carcinogenic.”
“Sniper ought not to come in contact with any edible material that would eventually be ingested by human beings. Sniper in beans is a material equivalent of death in pot. Nigerians eat a lot of beans. It is a very popular staple food item in this part of the world. So it may not be an exaggeration to say that sniper in beans is a weapon of mass destruction.’’
He urged beans dealers to respect the sanctity of human life. He advised them to withdraw beans already preserved with Sniper from the market and destroy them.
