A Lagos trader has been arrested for mixing yam flour with harmful chemicals to deceive consumers.
Officials say spoiled elubo was dyed for sale, risking public health in a shocking food scandal.
A woman has been arrested in Lagos for allegedly mixing yam flour (elubo isu) with dangerous coloring chemicals.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, announced the arrest on Friday via his official X handle.
According to Wahab, the suspect, identified as Mrs. Kehinde Raji, was caught following a tip-off from the Chairman of the Elubo Sellers Association. The association had raised concerns over unsafe food practices taking place in the market.
Wahab revealed that the woman was allegedly blending spoiled yam flour with toxic substances to create elubo that was later sold to the public.
He said, “This morning, we received credible intelligence from the Chairman of Elubo Sellers Association regarding dangerous food adulteration practices within the market. The report indicated that some unscrupulous traders were mixing harmful coloring agents with spoiled yam flour to produce contaminated ‘Elubo Isu’ for unsuspecting consumers.”
He added that the Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (KAI) acted swiftly and arrested Mrs. Raji during a market raid. Wahab also praised the market leaders for exposing the health risk.
Preliminary findings indicate that some people have already suffered health issues after consuming the contaminated product.
