A shocking story is making the rounds on social media after a lady shared how two women were caught trying to grind pepper infested with maggots at Mile 12 Market in Lagos.
According to her account, the women brought the spoiled pepper from home and tried to process it for sale, but their plan was exposed before they could leave the market.
Mile 12 Market is one of Lagos’ largest food markets, known for the sale of perishable goods like pepper, tomatoes, and vegetables.
It’s also a place where many traders grind pepper and other ingredients on-site using industrial grinding machines. The market sees hundreds of customers daily, making it a hotspot for both legitimate traders and those looking to cut corners.
In the story shared online, the lady said she witnessed two women arrive at the grinding section with bags of pepper.
When they began to offload it, the stench and sight of maggots in the pepper drew the attention of nearby traders and customers. The pepper was reportedly rotten, and the maggots were visible to anyone standing close.
“People started shouting and calling the market officials,” she wrote. “One of the women tried to run when she realized she had been caught, but the other was grabbed and handed over to the market authorities.”
The woman who escaped reportedly abandoned her bag and fled the scene to avoid being arrested. The one who was caught was taken to the market’s management office, where she was questioned and later handed over to security agents.
It’s unclear if she will face further legal action, but traders say the incident was reported to deter others from trying the same thing.
The story has sparked outrage and concern among Nigerians, many of whom buy ground pepper from markets without knowing how it was processed. Comments online have called for stricter inspections at grinding sections, with people saying this is a public health risk.
“Imagine eating that pepper in stew or soup without knowing,” one user wrote. “This is how food poisoning and sickness start.”
Market leaders at Mile 12 have repeatedly warned traders against bringing spoiled goods for processing. They say any trader caught doing this will face immediate sanctions, including being barred from the market….See More
