Debunking the False Claims of Poisonous ‘DEW’ Bottled Water in Nigeria

A viral WhatsApp message claiming that “DEW” bottled water is responsible for 180 deaths in Tanzania and has been shipped to Nigeria has been debunked as false. DUBAWA confirmed that there is no credible evidence supporting the claims, which were first dismissed by NAFDAC in 2011, and that bottled water imports are prohibited in Nigeria.

A recent WhatsApp message has warned that a bottled water brand called “DEW” is linked to the deaths of 180 people in Tanzania and is now being shipped to Nigeria. The message claims that Nigerian Customs has advised against consuming this water implying it contains a poisonous chemical. Given the viral nature of this message, it is imperative to validate its authenticity, particularly in light of previous incidents of food and beverage contamination in Nigeria.

DUBAWA undertook a thorough investigation related to the claims about “DEW bottled water.” The research yielded no credible information about the brand online. It was revealed that this assertion had previously surfaced in 2011 when Nigeria’s National Agency for Food Administration and Control (NAFDAC) officially dismissed it. The agency confirmed that no reports of poisoning or fatalities linked to this bottled water existed.

NAFDAC’s investigations across hospitals indicated that there had been no hospitalizations or deaths related to the consumption of “DEW” or any other water brands. To further substantiate this, DUBAWA checked information from the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), which confirmed that bottled water is indeed on the import prohibition list, meaning “DEW” could not have entered the country. Moreover, the search yielded no evidence of any deaths in Tanzania attributed to this alleged bottled water brand.

The allegations surrounding “DEW bottled water” and its purported link to fatalities are categorically false and are a reiteration of a discredited claim from 2011. The regulation prohibiting bottled water imports into Nigeria, coupled with the absence of any substantiated cases of illness or death associated with this brand, reinforces the conclusion that the message is a baseless rumor.

Original Source: dubawa.org