Men of the Nigerian police have arrested three brothers trading beans preserved with a poisonous insecticide, Sniper, in Lagos.
The three siblings were arrested on Adenekan Street, Alagbado, Lagos State after they were alleged to have sold the beans preserved with the poisonous substance to the public.
The brothers, Faith Ogbona, Chidioke Ogbona and Sunday Ogbona were arrested by men from the Alagbado division after a tip-off on the alleged harmful act.
Two of the siblings, Chidioke and Sunday were arrested on Friday while their elder brother and owner of the shop was nabbed on Sunday.
Punch reported that the shop belonging to the brothers has also been sealed off following the bust.
Faith, a 41-year-old elder brother to the siblings was arrested when he appeared to bail his brothers and was also accused of offering a N500,000 bribe to the policemen.
Speaking on their arrest, 18-year-old Chidioke told Punch that the insecticide was added to the beans as a means of protection against storage pests. He further added that it was the first time the siblings added the poisonous susbstance to their merchandise.
Chidioke said: “I just saw it (Sniper) as something that kills insects and decided to use it to preserve the beans and kill the insects therein. I was applying the chemical for the first time when a woman approached me and warned that it was dangerous.
“A few minutes after, some policemen came to arrest me. My brother (Faith) was not around when I put the Sniper in the beans.”
Faith who has also been arrested denied knowledge of the act and also denied offering the DPO bribe.
“I wasn’t around when my brother was caught putting Sniper in the beans. I was called on the telephone and I quickly returned to Lagos from Ibadan (Oyo State), where I had gone for a function. Sunday came to my shop when he learnt some policemen were there and he was also arrested.
“Chidioke just came back from our village. He had never seen me put Sniper in beans. In Maiduguri, if my suppliers wanted to preserve beans, they put DD Force or Sniper in water and spray it on the beans. It will be stored for about three or six months, depending on the quantity of chemicals applied.
“I have never mixed beans with chemicals, but I have been buying the one with chemicals from Maiduguri. If it is stored for a long time, it is not dangerous for human consumption.”
Sunday, the thid brother revealed that he was arrested as he alighted from a motorcycle.
He said: “I don’t preserve my beans with Sniper. I normally buy the quantity I can sell before insects infest it.”