Posted by By Jamiu Yisa on
Mr. Effiong Paul, who claims to be an assistant pastor with Blessed Assurance Ministry International, located at 9, Atika Street, Fafunwa, Ipaja, and Mr. Imoh Asuquo, an ex-loader with Afprint Nigeria Limited, have been arrested with over three million tins of contaminated and expired Tasty Tom tomato products.
Mr. Effiong Paul, who claims to be an assistant pastor with Blessed Assurance Ministry International, located at 9, Atika Street, Fafunwa, Ipaja, and Mr. Imoh Asuquo, an ex-loader with Afprint Nigeria Limited, have been arrested with over three million tins of contaminated and expired Tasty Tom tomato products.
Paul and his accomplice were arrested by officials of the Ayobo/Ipaja Local Council Development Area, after a tip-off. The team was led by Mr. Mathew Agannanoh, Head/Principal Environmental Health Officer and Mr. Olaniyi Kehinde, HOD, Waste and Sanitation Department of the LCDA.
The duo were immediately taken to the Ipaja police station, Alagolo, where they were detained. The accused were later arraigned at the Abule-Egba Customary Court, Meiran, on a two-count charge of selling contaminated products.
The charge against them reads: 'That you, Effiong Paul and Imoh Asuquo, in the jurisdiction of Ayobo/Ipaja LCDA on 2 December, 2008 were caught in the act of selling expired and decayed food condiments, Tasty Tom tin tomato meant for disposal in a large quantity, and also intending to sell an unwholesome, expired and rusted articles for public consumption and thereby committed an offence contrary to the public health laws of Lagos State, Cap.160, Vol. III, Section 6, sub-section 1 and Section 13 and punishable under same law.'
Both pleaded not guilty to the charges and the court president pronounced that they should be remanded at the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prisons. The case has been adjourned till 23 December, for further hearing.
Speaking with P.M.News after the adjournment, the prosecuting officer, Mr. Mathew Agannanah, Head/Principal Environmental Health Officer, Ayobo/Ipaja LCDA, said: 'some members of the community came to intimate us with the presence of the bad products. Pronto, we moved into action. Though the address given to us was somehow ambiguous, we were able to locate their hideout.
'We reported the matter at the Ipaja police station and some policemen were given to us to effect their arrest. We brought them to the police for interrogation and later charged them to court.'
The suspects said they never intended to rebrand the contaminated tin tomato products. Rather, they wanted to use the products to fill their church grounds, which was marshy.
According to Effiong Paul, who claimed to be a staff of PHCN Ipaja/Ayobo branch, 'it is only a human being with no blood flowing in his veins that will want to sell those tomato products. Though, some people make their money in dubious manners, but I will not do such because I am comfortable where I am. 'Infact, when I was coming back home on Monday night, I had a premonition that this will happen, but since I have no skeleton in my cupboard, I ignored it. When I got to my street, a man told me that policemen were looking for me. I decided not to sleep at home because God uses human beings to speak to individuals.
'The following morning (yesterday), we went to where we kept the products because we have nothing to hide and our conscience is clear. That was how we were arrested and taken to the police station.
'The only mistake we made was that we did not inform the CDA or the police of our intention, since we meant no harm,' said Paul. He told P.M.News that the pastor of the church was aware of their intention. When asked why the pastor or any member of the church was not in court, Paul said the pastor is currently fasting and praying.
The second suspect, Imoh Asuquo, who described himself as an ex-loader with Afprint Nigeria Limited, manufacturers of Tasty Tom tin tomato, disclosed that he left the company about two months ago and he personally diverted the contaminated tin tomatoes.
When P.M.News visited the church premises, an uncompleted bungalow, yesterday, there was no sign of anything to be filled in the church as alleged by the culprits. Pastor Edward O. Asah, the first vice-president of Fafunwa CDA, said there was more to the development than what the suspects disclosed.
'What beats my imagination was that they did not even make it a clandestine affair. When I challenged them on the expiration of the products, they told me it had not expired and they showed it to me. To my surprise, the expiration read between June and August, 2009.
'I picked about three afterwards and found out to my amazement that it carries an expiry date of between June and August next year. When I enquired on why the tins are rusty, they said it was rain,' he said.