NAFDAC seals warehouse with goods worth N1.9bn in Abuja

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has sealed a warehouse containing goods worth N1.9 billion in Idu, an outskirt of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that a member of the Federal Taskforce and Investigation, Enforcement Directorate, NAFDAC, Bubuchiki Godiya, disclosed the development on Friday.

Mr Godiya was said to have revealed that the agency received an allegation concerning feed avenue producing animal feeds.

Tip off

The official said the agency, on receipt of the allegation, sent its staff to the warehouse for confirmation.

He added that the team was shocked by their findings on getting to the warehouse because it was discovered that goods were being manufactured there.

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According to him, the revelations show that most of the goods are expired.

He said, “What we saw verified the allegation as the company had been carrying out funny activities at the warehouse.

“In the manager’s office, we saw some pressing iron, sailing thread and several other items for re-bagging feeds.”

Mr Godiya said on interrogation, the manager could not explain what the items were used for as he claimed the products were imported from France.

He also said that aside from the discovery the goods had expired, some labels were also observed to have been removed and replaced with new ones.

“We saw many newly printed labels in the manager’s office; the manager said he had no answers to questions he was asked, as some products he said were produced in Nigeria had no label or NAFDAC number.

“We will investigate this and must get to the root of the matter. When you go to a place, and you see scaling machine, pressing iron, coding machine, one will understand that things are being manufactured there,” he said.

The task force member disclosed that on inspection of the facility, the team discovered that the place was a warehouse and not even a factory for production.

He said the team had sufficient evidence and that further regulatory action would be taken against the company.

Company speaks

Meanwhile, Mr Daniel Ajayi, the warehouse manager, claimed not to be aware of other activities, saying his responsibility is to sell poultry products.

He claimed that the new empty bags and other things in the warehouse were to re-bag any damaged product.

Another NAFDAC official speaks

Umaru Suleiman, the Team Leader of the Federal Taskforce Investigation and Enforcement Unit, Kaduna, whose jurisdiction covers the entire North, including Abuja, said the warehouse had all it takes to repackage any product.

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Mr Suleiman explained that “the company buys expired products, re-bag them and sell to customers.”

According to him, even if a product is registered, it should be evaluated immediately after it expires.

He said: “Expired products should be quarantined in a particular place, so as not to contaminate others.

“If it is imported from France as he claimed, there is what we call import permit for products like this, and it will be written on the labels.”

NAN reports that the warehouse had been sealed and the manager arrested.

NAN also reports that the warehouse has no notice board, and it is on the premises of a construction company.