“We always ask for assistance from Nigerians to apprehend these smugglers, but up till now, there is no private citizen that has walked up to us to give us information, the only people giving us information are the rice millers.”
Hameed Ali (rtd), the Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service, has appealed to Nigerians to stop consuming foreign rice riddled with chemicals.
Ali spoke at a news conference organized by the ministry of finance on Thursday.
He said: “A chemical must have been added to sustain its freshness and that chemical is harmful.
“Also, it has been re-bagged with a new date given as the production and expiry dates, and that is what we consume here which causes diseases.
“So, I appeal to Nigerians to please patronize our own rice, it is available, more nutritious and if you do that you will assist customs by making sure these people (smugglers) are put out of business.
“We always ask for assistance from Nigerians to apprehend these smugglers, but up till now, there is no private citizen that has walked up to us to give us information, the only people giving us information are the rice millers.”