Crime

Yuletide: NAFDAC Surprises Dealers On Fake, Expired Products in Aba With Raid

CHUKWUEBUKA OHIZU

National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) took dealers of fake and expired products at the Eziukwu Market, Aba Abia State by surprise on Monday in an operation that lasted for several hours.

At the operation at the popular Eziukwu Market also known as Cemetery Markt, the agency said that the kind of consumable product made within the market can only be described as weapons of mass destruction.

Mr Martins Iluyomade, Director of NAFDAC in the South East Zone, who led the operation, recalled that a similar operation was done last year at the same market and stressed that all plans have been made to get the culprits. He lamented it baffles him on how people will be recalcitrant and hell-bent on making money at the detriment of their fellow citizens.

Some concoctions mixed to mass produce vegetable oil

Iluyomade recalled that in December 2023, during the last operation at the same market, the leadership of the market signed an undertaken with NAFDAC on the area of helping to identify the people involved in the nefarious activities of selling fake products, stressed that the agency will revisit that undertaken as the leadership of the market have questions to answer.

Daily News Nigeria reports that several wines, whiskey, yoghurt, carbonated drinks, chips, dry gin and so many foreign and indigenous drinks are being produced at a dirty environment of the market or have a section of the market where expired products have their dates been re-validated for redistribution to unsuspecting consumers.

“We were here last year and we’re back here on credible intelligence that the people are recovering in their nefarious business. I’m short of words with what I’m seeing here.

“I feel like shading tears. I don’t understand why people will be recalcitrant and hell-bent on making money at the expense of the health and wellbeing of their fellow citizens.

“What we met today is not different from what we saw last year, if not much more. It’s quite disheartening. Honestly, I feel like crying. There’re no drinks you’re looking for in Nigeria that’s not been manufactured here.

“It’s quite difficult for you to know the difference. I call it destruction because what they make here is weapons of mass destruction. They’re killing people, en masse.”

Iluyomade said that henceforth, a lot of measure have been put in place to deal with the situation at the Eziukwu Market permanently, as the agency led by Pro. Mojisola Adeyeye has zero tolerance for such activities.

“There are measures put in place to deal with what is happening here henceforth. I’ll not say it out here, but be rest assured that there are measures already put in place even to the highest level of government in the state against these activities here once and for all. People cannot continue to kill their fellow citizens in the name of making money.

“We did a follow-up with our engagement last year, with the Governor who’s doing a marvelous job in the state. He has given us marching orders to do something, and I think this time is the right time to do those things. He’s definitely not in support of the destruction that’s going on here in the name of business.”

Speaking on the date of the operation and issues of arrest and prosecution, Iluyomade said that NAFDAC came to the market on Monday because it felt it was the right time to have proper access around the market and find out the reality on the ground.

“They don’t normally produce because of the sit-at-home issue. This is exactly why we didn’t meet people today. So, it’s normal that we’ll not meet people on Mondays, but it gives us the opportunity to screen and move around easily.

“If this were to be a normal day, movement will be hard. Many people who don’t know what we’re doing will be everywhere and the environment will not be calm for us to do our jobs of cleaning this place properly.

“Sponsored thugs and many people will want to stop and disrupt this operation, but this day gives us a good opportunity to save lives of consumers by getting the products.

“However, we’ve gotten credible information on specific people and individuals that we have to follow up unlike what happened before. So, we’ll follow them up henceforth.”

He advised consumers to be careful inthe festive season, warning that every consumer needs to be painstaking when exchanging their money for goods.

“Our message is that everybody must shine their eyes. Let them be careful in this season of merriment to avoid damage of kidney and liver. Let them buy registered products from accredited distributors only. They’re everywhere, so people should take out time and find them.

“Again, people should do some basic checks. There are mixtures of names that are replica of the original products but the problem is that the consumers are not diligent enough to check what they’re buying. They should properly look at the labels of their products.

Expired Products

“Last, when a real product is selling for a certain amount of naira and a seller is giving you the product at a cut half price of the original you already know, is that not enough red flag for you to avoid that place? They’ll tell you it’s type two or number two, just because they felt the original is expensive. Why not avoid what you can’t buy? Drink your water instead of buying substandard to destroy your body.

“Our people should look at the pack of the products when it looks older than the date marking. They should know that such products have been re-validated.

“When packs are scratchy and the date markings are very clear and crispy, you should know that something is wrong. Consumers should open their eyes.”

Editor
Jude Ossai (JP) a veteran journalist is a National Diploma holder in Mass Communication from Ogwashi-Uku Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State. He also studied at Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Enugu and Imo State University, Owerri for his first and second degrees in Mass Communication, respectively. He writes extensively on politics, crime, corruption, climate change, healthcare, human rights, social justice, among others.
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Jude Ossai (JP) a veteran journalist is a National Diploma holder in Mass Communication from Ogwashi-Uku Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State. He also studied at Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Enugu and Imo State University, Owerri for his first and second degrees in Mass Communication, respectively. He writes extensively on politics, crime, corruption, climate change, healthcare, human rights, social justice, among others.
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