By Nkechi Eze
In a sustained and well-coordinated nationwide clampdown on counterfeit and substandard products, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has arrested a local footballer, Mr. Ikechukwu Elijah, in the Apo-Waru area of Abuja for operating an illegal chemical factory and distributing hazardous unregistered products to unsuspecting members of the public.
According to an official statement issued by the Deputy Director of Public Relations, Adegboyega Osiyemi, Elijah was apprehended after NAFDAC operatives discovered his clandestine manufacturing site in a residential building. He was initially evasive when questioned, denying any involvement in chemical production. However, after operatives conducted a thorough search of the compound, he confessed to running the illegal operation. His younger brother, who was found inside the factory during the raid, was also taken into custody.
The operation was led by the Desk Officer of the Investigation and Enforcement Directorate and member of the newly inaugurated Federal Taskforce on Counterfeit and Substandard Medicines and Unwholesome Processed Foods, Mr. Embugushiki Godiya. Items seized at the illegal factory included sealing machines, high-capacity cylinders, large chemical containers, and numerous finished products awaiting distribution.
In a related development, the enforcement team sealed off another illegal factory, MZEE Table Water, located in Damangaza district of Abuja. The water processing facility, according to NAFDAC, was operating in an unhygienic environment with a fake and expired license. Investigations revealed that the factory lacked a certified borehole, standard water treatment processes, and other requirements needed for licensed operation.
When contacted by the operatives, the owner of MZEE Table Water insisted that her factory was registered and claimed to be away in Gwagwalada at the time of the raid. However, the facility was unmanned, and only a co-tenant was present to witness the sealing of the premises.
The crackdown extended to the Central Business District of Abuja, where the team, acting on intelligence, stormed a shopping plaza opposite the World Trade Centre on Constitution Avenue. There, they confiscated counterfeit rice, packaging materials, and sealing machines used to re-bag popular brands for sale to unsuspecting consumers.
Mr. Godiya, who put the street value of the confiscated items at over N60 million, attributed the success of the operation to the directive of NAFDAC’s Director General, Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye. He said the DG had given a firm charge to field officers to intensify their activities to ensure Nigerians consume only safe food and effective medicines.
He further appealed to Nigerians to avoid patronizing suspicious or unregulated products, stressing that reducing demand would weaken the counterfeit market. “All suspects arrested in the course of these operations will be prosecuted in accordance with the law,” he assured.
The operation underscores NAFDAC’s renewed drive to rid markets of dangerous, counterfeit, and substandard goods while safeguarding the health of Nigerians.
