NAFDAC Raids Aba Market, Arrests 3, Seals Shops over Fake Product
Officials of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) yesterday raided the Eziukwu market in Aba, Abia State; in its continued efforts to rid the nation of fake and unwholesome regulated products.
During the raid conducted by the officials of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate of the Agency from Lagos which lasted several hours, three traders - a male and two females - who were alleged to be involved in the sale of fake ‘Instant cold water starch’ product were arrested.
In addition to the arrests, their shops were sealed while hundreds of cartons of the fake product worth several millions of naira were also seized, according to a release issued by Mr. Anslem Okonkwor of the agency’s Public Relations Unit.
Speaking after the operation, Chief Regulatory officer and leader of the team, Uche Chidi, said his office got information regarding the faking of the product, which was being manufactured by Cormart Industries Ltd., Ilupeju, Lagos.
Chidi said based on the strength of the information, they moved into and raided Eziukwu market. He revealed that during the raid, they found the stocks of the fake version of the product which prompted the arrest of the people that were involved for interrogation.
The Chief Regulatory officer also said as the arrests were made, his men had to evacuate the products from the various premises they went and actually shut down the premises.
According to him, “We seized about 100 cartons of the fake product and we are going to send them for laboratory analysis to confirm the status and from there, we take it on. Once the product is confirmed to be fake, those arrested are going to be prosecuted of course with the approval of the management”.
He said the number of persons arrested presently was three but that investigations were still ongoing and more arrests would be made in the course of investigation. He added that the agency had spread its drag net to ensure that the fake product in other markets was confiscated.
One of the traders arrested for selling the fake product, Mrs. Ifeadikachi Mbamaonyeukwu, said she never knew that the product which she said her husband used to buy at a slightly cheaper rate was fake.
Mbamaonyeukwu, who said she could not differentiate between the original and fake products, said it was a young man who she could not tell the name that sold the fake products to her. She argued that she was unable to know the true state of the fake product because none of her customers who bought it had ever returned to complain it was not good.