The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Mojisola Adeyeye, has reiterated warnings against counterfeit and unregistered products following the arrest of a local footballer in Abuja for allegedly operating an illegal chemical factory.
In a statement issued on Friday by the agency’s Deputy Director of Public Relations and Protocol, Adegboyega Osiyemi, NAFDAC disclosed that Ikechukwu Elijah was apprehended in the Apo-Waru area for manufacturing and distributing hazardous, unregistered chemicals to unsuspecting members of the public.
According to the statement, Elijah was initially evasive during interrogation but later admitted to running the facility after investigators discovered large quantities of counterfeit insecticides and chemical products within his premises.
His younger brother, who was found inside the factory, was also arrested. The enforcement team seized equipment including sealing machines, high-capacity cylinders, and chemical containers, while all finished products were evacuated.
The operation was led by Embugushiki Godiya, Desk Officer at the Investigation and Enforcement Directorate and a member of the Federal Taskforce on Counterfeit and Substandard Medicines and Unwholesome Processed Foods.
Read Also: NAFDAC backs GMO foods, stresses need for proper labelling, safety oversight
He said the estimated street value of the seized items exceeded N60 million.
In a related exercise, NAFDAC sealed an illegal packaged water factory, MZEE Table Water, in the Damangaza district for operating in unhygienic conditions with a fake and expired licence.
Investigations revealed that the facility lacked a certified borehole, treatment system, and other mandatory requirements for a registered water company.
The enforcement team also raided a shopping plaza opposite the World Trade Centre in Abuja’s Central Business District, where counterfeit rice and re-bagging materials were confiscated.
Adeyeye, who commended the operation, stressed that counterfeit and unregistered products not only endanger lives but also damage consumer confidence and undermine the economy.
She urged Nigerians to desist from patronising suspicious goods and to support the agency’s efforts by reporting unsafe products.
NAFDAC has intensified its nationwide crackdown on fake medicines, food, and beverages, with Abuja identified as a major distribution hub for such illicit activities.
