The National Food, Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC) has ordered agro-dealers to withdraw popular agricultural pesticide, Sniper, from open markets and supermarkets, to reduce its use for suicide across the country.
The federal government yesterday placed a restriction on the sale and use of the fatal agro-chemical product, Sniper.
The development was made public by NAFDAC’s director, Veterinary Medicine and Allied Products Directorate, Dr Bukar Usman, at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan on Wednesday, June 19, Leadership reports.
Since Sniper hits the Nigerian market, it has become the favourite of most Nigerians, especially the poor for killing mosquitoes and other pests. Similarly, the product has also been abused by many as they use it to commit suicide.
As NAFDAC bans Sniper from both the open market and supermarkets across the country with immediate effect, the agency will ensure that all agro-chemical dealers and other stakeholders comply. The order is, however, only a restriction of the use and availability of Sniper to farms alone, and not an outright ban of the product.
Dr Bukar Usman said that Sniper is an agro-cultural product meant for use only in the farms and not for households.
He said, “There are appropriate products for the control of mosquitoes and other household pests”
Dr. Usman charged manufacturers and dealers to cooperate with NAFDAC to mop up the 100ml size of the product, which was cheap and easy to acquire.