By Meletus EZE
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Niger has expressed concern over the safety of tobacco snuff currently imported into the country in large quantities.
TBI Africa said Mr Aniko Ibrahim, the state Coordinator of NAFDAC, expressed the concern in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna on Thursday.
“Going by the labels, these products are coming from Ghana into our country because of the nature of our borders.
“It means that as an agency we have to work very hard to stop proliferation of products like this,” he said.
Ibrahim expressed concern that many people now sniffed the powdered substance and got addicted to it without knowing the content (ingredients).
“We have not ascertained the composition of these substances as some of them claim to cure eye disease, pile, waist pain and headache.
“Others claim to cure weak erection in men, asthma, cough and catarrh and many more. In fact they are endless,” he said.
He said that the composition of the various snuff would be checked to ensure that there were no harmful substances in the imported local powder.
The NAFDAC state coordinator said that the agency’s headquarters in Abuja would be notified for necessary action.
“We will find out who is responsible for bringing the snuff into Niger state,” he said.
Malam Dahiru Ayuba, security man at the state secretariat told NAN that the snuff stopped headache and energises him.
