The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has uncovered an illegal operation in Lagos involving fake chemicals, expired food flavours, fertilisers, and repackaged raw materials.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday, NAFDAC said the operatives bust the illegal operation at the Alapere area of Ketu, which led to the arrest of three suspects and the sealing of three warehouses.
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According to the statement, the operatives were led by the agency’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Martins Iluyomade.
The raid was carried out following credible intelligence about a criminal network endangering public health.
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Mr Iluyomade said this is one of the campaigns the agency is carrying out to protect the health of Nigerians.
“We received information that some individuals were pretending to run a legitimate business, but in reality, they were engaging in serious criminal activities that put people’s lives at risk,” he said.
“As an agency set up by law to stop such crimes, we stepped in to make sure those involved are brought to justice. The main offence here is the sale of expired chemicals,” he said.
He noted that chemicals are known as raw materials, with some being precursors used to make other chemicals, while others go directly into the production of goods people consume.
“If an expired chemical is used, it is impossible to get a safe or effective final product, making it a serious health risk,” Mr Iluyomade was quoted as saying.
The statement further indicated that dangerous chemicals that pose a serious security threat and are expected to be handled only by government agencies or licensed end users were discovered.
It also said that some of the expired food additive found at the location were from a registered company that was licenced to import the product, noting that the company will be investigated.
“Fertilisers among the items were found, these items required clearance from the National Security Adviser before anyone can distribute them. Yet, someone has been stocking and selling them freely.
“Another major concern is the expired food-grade products we found, and the disturbing part is that they came from a registered company in Nigeria. That company has the legal right to import them.
“The expired batch ended up with a third party who is not a manufacturer and this raises serious questions about how some multinationals are operating in this country,” the statement said.
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It also said that the three warehouses belonging in the same location were sealed while the total value of the fake and expired items seized was not less than N1 billion.
The Director of Chemical Evaluation and Control, Leonard Omokpariola, in the statement said it was unfortunate that some of the items found at the three warehouses were strictly controlled items not expected to be in the possession of an individual.
Mr Omokpariola urged companies to always follow NAFDAC guidelines on how to handle such items.
(NAN)
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