The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, yesterday uncovered an alleged illegal operation involving fake and expired food-grade chemicals, flavours, fertilisers, and repackaged raw materials valued at over N1 billion in the Alapere area of Ketu, Lagos.
The raid led to the arrest of three suspects and the sealing of three warehouses, where the alleged illicit materials were being stored and distributed.
Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Dr. Martins Iluyomade, who led the operation, said: “This is one of the many operations we are carrying out to protect the health of Nigerians. We got reliable information that certain individuals, while pretending to run a legitimate business, were involved in activities that are not only illegal but dangerous to lives.
“The main offence here is the distribution and sale of expired chemicals. These are raw materials, some of which are precursors for other compounds, while others go directly into the production of consumables. Using expired chemicals in such processes makes the final product unsafe.
“We found fertilisers that require clearance from the Office of the National Security Adviser before they can be distributed. Yet, this individual has been selling them freely.”
According to him, a particularly alarming find was a stash of expired food-grade additives discovered inside a vehicle.
He said: “These came from a registered Nigerian company with a legitimate license to import. Somehow, these expired products found their way to a third party, who is not a manufacturer. This raises questions about how some multinationals are operating.
“We will be investigating those companies. Anyone aiding this type of criminality will be held accountable.”
Iluyomade confirmed that the warehouses belong to a single individual, and that the total value of confiscated items exceeds N1 billion.
Also speaking, Director of Chemical Evaluation and Research, Dr. Leonard Omokpariola, detailed the scope of illegal substances recovered from the scene.
“We found chemicals like caustic soda (sodium hydroxide), urea fertiliser, and propylene glycol, a known pharmaceutical excipient. Shockingly, we also found metronidazole benzoate, an active pharmaceutical ingredient,” he said.
He described the environment as wholly unfit for storing such substances and condemned the suspect’s disregard for public safety.
VANGUARD.
