The ministry in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Environment, Philemon Ogbonna Asonye on Saturday, said the use of the product as food containers has been banned in the state.

He noted that Take Away had earlier been banned in some states, including Lagos and therefore, advised the public to immediately discontinue the use of the foils until investigations are fully carried out on the dangers of the product to public health.

Meanwhile, some defaulters were on Saturday, arrested and sanctioned in Umuahia during the January 2024 Clean Up exercise in the State.

The defaulters, who were arrested in some parts of the State capital during the environmental sanitation hours, were caught either trading or loitering, in contravention of the government’s earlier orders.

However, the clean up recorded a high level of compliance as many residents cleaned their gutters, while trucks provided by the State government evacuated generated wastes.