The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has seized three petrol tankers in Lagos State that were being used to transport edible vegetable oil. According to a post by the agency on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, the oil had been trans-loaded into the tankers from an edible oil depot.

NAFDAC expressed concern over potential health risks due to chemical contamination from the tankers’ previous use for transporting petrol. The tankers were escorted to a processing facility in Sango-Ota, where the crude soy oil was handed over to NAFDAC’s Southwest Zonal Office for further regulatory action.

In an attached video, a NAFDAC official explained that credible information revealed the same tankers had previously been used to transport petroleum products. The official emphasized the public health risk, noting that petroleum products are carcinogenic and unsafe for human consumption.

NAFDAC has apprehended the suspects and seized the trucks for further investigation. The agency’s Director-General, Moji Adeyeye, has established a committee to develop guidelines and a code of ethics for the marketing and distribution of edible vegetable oils in Nigeria.

NAFDAC is urging the public to report any suspicious or unwholesome practices related to food and regulated products.