The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has seized unregistered food products worth over N3.8 billion during a raid on a warehouse in Apongbon Oke Arin Market, Lagos.
The operation, conducted by NAFDAC’s Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, followed a tip-off about the sale of unregistered items at the facility.
Various products worth N3,818,802,720 were confiscated, and the warehouse has been placed on hold pending further investigation.
Warehouse under investigation
In a statement on its official X handle on Tuesday, NAFDAC announced “The warehouse management has been summoned for questioning, and appropriate sanctions will follow after investigations.
“We reaffirm our commitment to protecting public health and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.”
The agency further urged Nigerians to remain vigilant during the festive season and report any suspicious activities to the nearest NAFDAC office.
More insights
Nairametrics recently reported that NAFDAC shut down eight rice shops and a warehouse in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
- The operation, which the agency extended to Wuse and Garki markets in Abuja, also led to the seizure of over 1,600 bags of counterfeit rice valued at approximately ₦5 billion.
- Mr. Kenneth Azikiwe, Director of the FCT Directorate of NAFDAC, said recently that the NAFDAC D-G also ordered corporate enforcement actions against those rebranding other people’s products.
“This act of counterfeiting rice is illegal. Consumers believe they are buying quality products, but the quality is often substandard,” he emphasized.
- Also, NAFDAC Director-General, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye had issued a directive earlier that only safe, quality, and wholesome food products should be available to Nigerians during the yuletide and beyond.
- She specifically instructed that those counterfeiting popular brands should be arrested and their products removed from the market.
- Following surveillance activities, NAFDAC uncovered facilities where a woman specialized in repackaging popular rice brands such as Bull 25kg, Stallion Rice 10kg, and Tomatoes Rice 25kg, among others. The operation was carried out in a warehouse behind her residential house, which is done only at night.
- The agency also destroyed unhealthy products valued at approximately N11 billion in Ibadan. The Directorate is tasked with identifying and removing unwholesome, substandard, fake, and counterfeit products from circulation.
Adeyeye has emphasized that the agency’s primary goal is to eliminate such products to protect public health.
She also called for the need to continue collaboration and partnership with stakeholders to protect Nigeria from unwholesome, substandard, fake, and counterfeit medicinal and regulated products.
