NAFDAC raids warehouses harbouring expired chemicals, additives, makes arrests
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), on Tuesday, raided warehouses containing expired chemicals, counterfeit food flavours, unauthorised fertilisers, and repackaged pharmaceutical raw materials in the Alapere area of Ketu, Lagos.
The agency said in a statement that several suspects were arrested and three warehouses sealed during the raid which was executed on credible intelligence about a syndicate engaged in large-scale counterfeiting of food and chemical products.
The Director of Investigation and Enforcement at NAFDAC, Martins Iluyomade, revealed that many of the expired chemicals were being repackaged and redirected for use in food and drug production, posing grave risks, noting that the agency acted to safeguard public health, as the suspects who posed as legitimate business operators endangered the lives of many Nigerians.
The raid also uncovered several controlled and high-risk materials, including fertilisers that require special clearance from the Office of the National Security Adviser, being stockpiled without authorisation.
“The main offence here is the distribution and sale of expired chemicals. These are raw materials, some of which are precursors for other compounds, while others go directly into the production of consumables. Using expired chemicals in such processes makes the final product unsafe.
“We found fertilisers that require clearance from the Office of the National Security Adviser before they can be distributed. Yet, this individual has been selling them freely”, Iluyomade said.
He assured the public that there were ongoing investigations and that all culprits involved would be brought to book.
