The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control’s (NAFDAC’s) operatives on Thursday raided a rice-repackaging factory in New Karu, Nasarawa, on allegations of counterfeiting popular brands.
The enforcement operation, which was led by the Director in charge of the FCT Directorate of the agency, Mr Kenneth Azikiwe, confiscated several bags of rice from eight different facilities in the area,.
He explained that the operation was sequel to intelligence reports from members of the public and manufacturers of the affected brands.
The Director said: “Upon receiving these intelligence tips, NAFDAC Director-General, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, issued a directive that only safe, quality, and wholesome food products should be available to Nigerians during the yuletide and beyond.
“She specifically instructed that those counterfeiting popular brands of rice should be arrested and their products removed from the market.
“This act of counterfeiting rice is illegal. Consumers believe they are buying quality products, but the quality is often substandard.
“Today, after surveillance activities, we discovered facilities where a woman specialises in repackaging popular brands such as Bull 25kg, Stallion Rice 10kg, Tomatoes Rice 25kg, and several others.
“This woman uses a warehouse behind her residential house to carry out the repackaging, which is done only at night.
Once packaging is completed, the products are moved to a warehouse during the day for sale to unsuspecting consumers.
“The packaging materials are kept in her residence to avoid raising suspicion among neighbours. Today, we visited the premises, confiscated the packaging materials, and seized some of the finished products.
“We also inspected her warehouse and stores where these items were kept for sale, confiscating all the brands found there. Additionally, we visited other warehouses involved in similar activities and destroyed their products”, Azikiwe added.
The Director, who disclosed that the Director-General of the agency also ordered enforcement actions against those rebranding other people’s products, maintained that the agency remained fully committed to ensuring good health and safety of Nigerians.
He urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report cases of counterfeiting, noting that such activities often take place within communities.
Azikiwe advised: “If you see anyone engaging in such acts, please report to NAFDAC. Counterfeit products are usually of poor quality and are often produced in unhygienic environments, which makes it impossible to create wholesome or quality goods.
“People must learn to purchase from reputable dealers or supermarkets that maintain a reliable supply chain for quality products”, he stressed.
