Ebonyi State government yesterday said it had seized over 378 bags of poisonous rice imported into the state from other parts of the country.

The state Commissioner for Environment, Donatus Njoku, who disclosed this journalists in Abakaliki, said a member of staff of the ministry noticed at a market that one of the millers was mixing the rice with bags written not for human consumption with other rice and re-bagging them.

He said after preliminary investigations, the matter was reported to the State Executive Council, which ordered the temporary closure of the market and also set up a committee to investigate the matter.

He said security agencies led the state officials to arrest several persons in connection with the alleged importation and selling of the rice.

“One of the bags of rice has been sent to NAFDAC for analysis to confirm if they are poisonous.

The Commissioner of Police, Titus Lamorde, has directed the matter to be transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department for adequate investigation,” she said.