NAFDAC Raids Abia’s Notorious Home Of Fake, Adulterated Beverages 

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in an operation that lasted for several hours at the Eziukwu Market (Cemetery Market) Aba, Abia State said that the products it discovered can only be described as weapons of mass destruction.

This is coming months after the federal government agency invaded the same market and raided shops that deal on fake and adulterated products and beverages.

Martins Iluyomade, Director of NAFDAC in the Southeast 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.

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.

Our correspondent reports that assorted brands of imported and locally brewed beverages; wines, whiskeys, yoghurts, carbonated drinks, chips, dry gin and among other drinks, were being produced in a dirty and unhygienic environment in the market, adding that others involved in the illicit business major on repackaging and relabelling of expired products with new labels and dates which they redistribute to awaiting traders in the same market and outside the the market, which they sell to unsuspecting members of the public.

“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.”

The Zonal Director 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 Prof. 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.”

According to Iluyomade, 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.”

Giving his words of advice to consumers on the festive season, the Zonal Director warned 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.

“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.”

On expired products, Iluyomade said that the amount of expired products he saw being re-validated weakened him the most and advised consumers to be watchful.

“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.”