The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) yesterday expressed regrets over residents of Kano state who lost their lives after consuming adulterated flavoured drinks.
The agency earlier this week announced that it had apprehended merchants of the dangerous chemicals used in the drinks which led to loss of three lives.
However, on Thursday, the Kano government announced that at least 10 persons have died and 400 hospitalised after drinking the flavoured juice.
NAFDAC however noted that the official records available to it as of Thursday, was less than 10 deaths from the incident. It however explained that it does not seek to downplay the numbers of fatality as every life matters.
In a chat with The Nation, the Resident Media Consultant of NAFDAC, Sayo Akintola, said: “The report the Director-General received as of yesterday was less than ten deaths. I can confirm to you that it was not a new incident. Those fatalities, even if one, it’s one too many, of those affected by the dangerous chemicals and additives they consumed in five flavoured drinks in Kano on March 11. These can be avoided.
“It is not as if we are trying to downplay the numbers of deaths, but that was the feedback our Director of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition got from Kano yesterday. Although investigations still continue and we are on top of it. Probably the Kano government is adding up the numbers, but the information we have at our disposal is less than ten.
“Many of them were hospitalized for kidney related problems occasioned by the consumption of dangerous chemicals. The DG of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye expresses regrets over the deaths and prays to God to give families of the departed the fortitude to bear the irreparable losses