Rat poison sales boom in Osogbo

The demand for rat poison has increased in Osogbo following the outbreak of lassa fever in the country, reports the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Some of the rat poison sellers, who spoke to NAN at the popular Ola-Iya Junction in Osogbo on Tuesday, said they were making brisk businesses and huge profits since the outbreak of the fever.

One of the sellers, who simply identified himself as Chika, said he now enjoyed high patronage. “Before now, I find it difficult to sell 10 packs of the poison in a day, but since the outbreak of the lassa fever, I sell between one to two cartons in a day. “People are seriously demanding for the poison to eradicate rats from their homes,’’ Chika said.

Another seller, Abayomi Ogundele, said that sale of rat poison was now a lucrative business. Ogundele said that people were now afraid of rats, which he said, had prompted the demand for the poison.

He said he now make between N1,500 and N2,000 profits in a day. Similarly, Olu Orebiyi, another rat poison marketer, said he was contemplating increasing the price of the poison from N100 to N120 due to its high demands.

Orebiyi said since people now know that rat was responsible for the fever, they now demand for it the more. Meanwhile, an environmentalist, Mr Niyi Ayanda, has cautioned people on the usage of the poison. According to him, what can kill a rat, can easily kill a man. Ayanda urged the people to be careful on how they use the poison.

NAN recalls Dr Temitope Oladele, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health in Osun confirmed that a resident doctor at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, died as a result of lassa fever.

Oladele said that 15 people who came in contact with the deceased were placed under surveillance.