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By Doris Obinna
As part of its efforts to curb the menace of importation, sales and distribution of counterfeit and fake regulated products, operatives of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) raided and arrested two suspects, in connection with various fraudulent activities.
The acting Director General, NAFDAC, Monica Eimunjeze, while parading the suspects, yesterday, said the agency will not relent in its efforts in ensuring that only wholesome, safe, quality and efficacious products are imported, manufactured, distributed, sold and used by the Nigerian populace.
She said on December 7, 2022, NAFDAC officers raided a warehouse in the Apongbon area in Lagos Island, where they found 115 cartons of potassium bromate tablets with a street value of N28,750,000:00.
She added: “Also found in the warehouse were counterfeit EDC Bread Improver, packed in sachets with a fake NAFDAC registration number 01-4242, worth N300,000:00. One Rapuluchukwu Joseph was arrested as the importer during the operation.
“As you are aware, potassium bromate is a banned flour improver globally as it is a known cancer causing agent. It can also cause kidney failure among other ailments. Potassium bromate, popularly known as tablets in the black economy, is always attractive to merchants of death who want to make outrageous profit at the expense of citizens’ wellbeing.
“This is because apart from improving the texture of a loaf, it also increases its volume and it is relatively cheap. For example, the seized tablets could be used with 300,000 bags of 50kg flour to produce about 30 million family-size loaves of bread. Also, on September 9, 2022, the agency commenced an investigation which led its operatives to a long span of operations at four states of the federation, namely; Kano, Kaduna, Delta, Abia and Lagos States.
“After rigorous and painstaking efforts, the agency’s operatives traced and arrested one Owerekwe Obinna Michael ‘male’ 46 years of 12 Boundary Street, Aba, Abia State, as the importer of the counterfeit product of super delicious cooking margarine, with purported NAFDAC number (A1-2508)
“At the point of his arrest, the suspect, upon sighting the operatives, completely destroyed his mobile phone, so that the evidence will not be traced to him. He also fought the operatives, but was instantly overpowered, arrested and taken to custody.
“He confirmed that he actually imported 400 cartons of the product with the above details from Dubai, through groupage and cleared at Onne Port, Port Harcourt. He claimed that the shipment was delivered to him by a clearing agent, whose name he did not yet disclose. He also admitted distributing the product to markets across the country. Preliminary examination of the product showed that the actual manufacturer’s name was not written, but produced for a company in Indonesia.”
While enjoining the public to watch out for these injurious products anywhere in the country, Eimunjeze urged them to report the same or any suspected fake/counterfeit or unwholesome product to any nearest NAFDAC Office.
