Dare Babalola
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has arrested a local footballer, Ikechukwu Elijah, for manufacturing and distributing hazardous, unregistered chemicals in Abuja.
The agency raided an illegal factory in the Apo-Waru area, where Elijah operates, and seized manufacturing equipment and finished products.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by NAFDAC’s Deputy Director of Public Relations and Protocol, Mr. Adegboyega Osiyemi, on Friday.
NAFDAC has repeatedly warned that such items expose citizens to dangerous substances, compromise safety, and undermine trust in regulated goods.
According to its statement, NAFDAC said the suspect operates an illegal factory in a residential building in the area and is notorious for counterfeiting popular brands of chemicals and insecticides.
“Initially, when contacted for interrogation by detectives, he denied any knowledge of chemical production in the area. He later confessed to the crime and admitted ownership of the illegal facility after a thorough search was conducted around the compound. The operation also led to the arrest of his younger brother inside the factory.
“The operation, led by the Desk Officer, Investigation and Enforcement Directorate of NAFDAC, and member of the newly inaugurated Federal Taskforce on Counterfeit and Substandard Medicines and Unwholesome Processed Foods in Abuja, Mr. Embugushiki Godiya, resulted in the seizure of manufacturing equipment such as sealing machines, high-capacity cylinders, and large chemical containers, as well as the evacuation of all finished products from the facility,” it stated.
In a related operation, NAFDAC also discovered and sealed an illegal water factory, MZEE Table Water, in the Damangaza district of Abuja. The factory was producing packaged water in an unhygienic environment with a fake and expired license.
NAFDAC also confiscated counterfeit rice and packaging materials, including sealing machines, used to re-bag popular brands and sell them to the public. The street value of the seized items is estimated to be over N60m.
The agency urges Nigerians to desist from patronising products suspected to be fake, counterfeit, or unwholesome. The agency will charge all suspects arrested in connection with these operations in court according to the law.
NAFDAC also said it has intensified its surveillance and enforcement operations, targeting the production and sale of fake medicines, chemicals, food, and beverages. NAFDAC has established a Federal Taskforce on Counterfeit and Substandard Medicines and Unwholesome Processed Foods to strengthen coordination with law enforcement and intelligence networks.
