The sale of counterfeit chemicals, expired food flavors, unapproved fertilizers, and repackaged pharmaceutical raw materials valued at over N1 billion has been discovered by Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, or NAFDAC, in the Alapere neighborhood of Ketu, Lagos State.
This was revealed by NAFDAC in a statement on Tuesday.
According to the agency, the recent operation resulted in the arrest of three suspects and the sealing of three facilities with hazardous materials.
Speaking during the raid, Dr. Martins Iluyomade, NAFDAC’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, stated that the exercise was prompted by reliable information of a criminal organization involved in widespread food and chemical counterfeiting.
He said that the accused were repackaging chemicals that had expired and been diverted for use in the manufacturing of drugs and food.
“This is one of the initiatives our organization is running to safeguard Nigerians’ health.
Chemicals are either utilized directly in the manufacturing of consumable goods or as building blocks for other materials. When chemicals that have expired are used, the finished product cannot be safe or effective. That poses a major risk to one’s health,” Iluyomade stated.
Dr. Leonard Omokpariola, NAFDAC’s Director of Chemical Evaluation and Research, provided a thorough inventory of the hazardous materials found at the site, including tiger nuts, beef, chicken, and food flavoring.
“We discovered roasted beef, roasted chicken, Chinook, tiger nuts, and expired food flavorings in addition to active pharmaceutical ingredients like metronidazole benzoate,” he stated.
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