- One of the factory workers, Ms Gift Thomas, was arrested during the raid
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Thursday sealed a factory and eight shops in Nasarawa State for packaging, selling, and distributing counterfeit rice worth an estimated N5 billion.
Acting on an intelligence report, NAFDAC’s Investigation and Enforcement Taskforce uncovered the operation at Ninjur Ventures, a factory concealed behind a residential building at 44 Abacha Road in Karu. The factory was involved in packaging counterfeit rice using sacks branded with popular names like Royal Stallion, Big Bull, Mama’s Choice, Optimum, and Ultimate Gold in sizes of 25kg and 50kg.
One of the factory workers, Ms Gift Thomas, was arrested during the raid. However, Thomas denied responsibility for the counterfeit rice and claimed the factory had been closed since Tuesday. The factory owner, identified as Eze Dike, was absent during the operation.
Additionally, eight shops on Old Karu Road were sealed for selling counterfeit rice, with two shop owners arrested.
Speaking after the enforcement exercise, Kenneth Azikiwe, NAFDAC’s Director in the Federal Capital Territory, noted that the nationwide crackdown was ordered by the agency’s Director-General, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, to eliminate counterfeit food products.
Azikiwe confirmed that about 400 bags of counterfeit rice had already been seized in Wuse Market, Abuja, as part of the ongoing exercise. “The estimated street value of the seized counterfeit rice and related products is roughly N5 billion,” he stated.
The agency emphasized its commitment to protecting consumers and ensuring the circulation of only safe and authentic food products in the market.
Discussion about this post