BY JOY ODOR
ABUJA: The House of Representatives was thrown into shock on Wednesday following revelations that toxic chemicals meant for embalming corpses are being used by some traders to preserve frozen foods across the country.
Raising the alarm, Hon. Deacon Chike John Okafor (PhD), representing Ehime Mbano/Ihitte Uboma/Obowo Federal Constituency of Imo State, moved a motion titled “Need to Investigate the Alleged Use of Harmful Chemicals as Preservatives for Frozen Foods in Nigeria.”
Okafor warned that Nigeria might be facing “a systematic poisoning of its citizens,” citing reports from regulators, health experts, and investigative journalists showing that formalin and other industrial chemicals were being used to preserve fish, meat, and other perishable foods.
“These are substances meant for the dead, not for human consumption,” he said.
“What we are witnessing is the slow poisoning of millions of Nigerians in the name of food preservation.”
He recalled that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) had in 2019 raised the alarm over the use of formalin on fish and meat, while a University of Ibadan study in 2022 confirmed the presence of dangerous pesticide residues in frozen foods sold in Nigerian markets.
Despite these warnings, he said, the practice persists, exposing millions to cancer, kidney and liver failure, autism in children, and irreversible organ damage.
“Our markets are flooded with poisoned foods,” Okafor said. “Our young people are falling ill, and children are developing conditions linked to toxic exposure. The cause is not far-fetched, it is what we eat.”
He called on the House to mandate relevant committees to investigate the sources, supply chains, and regulatory failures enabling the practice, and to hold culprits accountable.
Okafor further urged NAFDAC, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and the Federal Ministry of Health to launch a coordinated nationwide crackdown to prevent what he described as “a silent public health catastrophe.”
Lawmakers across party lines supported the motion, describing the revelations as shocking and disturbing.
One member said, “This is food terrorism. Nigerians are eating death in slow motion.”
The House unanimously resolved to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the alleged use of embalming and industrial chemicals in food preservation nationwide.
