The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raided an alleged counterfeit alcohol factory in Lagos, arresting two suspects and recovering equipment used to produce and package fake alcoholic drinks.
The raid, conducted yesterday at a two-storey building in Zamfara Plaza, Trade Fair International Market, along the Badagry Expressway, Ojo, uncovered several mini-factories operating under unhygienic environmental conditions, raising concerns about the safety of products intended for public consumption.
The agency’s Investigation and Enforcement Directorate carried out the operation following intelligence reports and surveillance of individuals allegedly involved in counterfeiting premium alcoholic drink brands.
Items recovered during the operation included drums, filters, burners, packaging materials and imported bottle caps allegedly used in the production and packaging of counterfeit alcoholic drinks. Other suspects reportedly fled the scene.
Assistant Director of the directorate, Kunle Ojo, described the discovery as alarming, saying officers caught some of the suspects in the act of producing counterfeit alcoholic drinks.
He said the operation was part of the agency’s efforts to protect Nigerians from potentially harmful products, particularly ahead of the festive season, when alcohol consumption typically increases.
Ojo said the arrested suspects would be investigated to trace the sources of the products and raw materials and identify other individuals connected with the illegal operation.
He warned that counterfeit and substandard alcoholic drinks could cause serious health complications, stressing that the agency would not tolerate product counterfeiting.
“Making money by producing harmful products puts the lives of Nigerians at risk,” he said.
He urged those involved in the illegal practice to desist, while calling on members of the public to report suspicious activities to the nearest NAFDAC office.
Ojo added that the seized products, materials and equipment would be evacuated to the agency’s warehouse for destruction, while the suspects would face administrative action and prosecution in accordance with the law.
Another Assistant Director in the directorate, Victoria Jennifer Akudu, said the media would be invited to witness the destruction of the recovered items to ensure transparency and prevent the products from finding their way back into circulation.
Deputy Director, Public Relations, NAFDAC, Christiana Obiazikwor, said the agency conducted enforcement operations daily, many of which were not publicised because officers worked discreetly to avoid alerting suspects.
She explained that those behind the alleged operation transferred drinks into other bottles under the pretext that some original bottles had been damaged.
According to her, the suspects had relocated their activities following an earlier enforcement operation but were eventually apprehended after officers gained access to the premises through the back entrance.
Obiazikwor urged Nigerians to report suspected counterfeit products to NAFDAC rather than circulate unverified claims on social media.
She said credible information from the public would assist the agency in identifying offenders, disrupting illegal production networks and protecting consumers from potentially dangerous products.