The Nationwide Company for Meals and Drug Administration and Management (NAFDAC) has shut down eight rice outlets and a warehouse in Karu Native Authorities Space of Nasarawa State.
The operation, which additionally prolonged to Wuse and Garki markets in Abuja, led to the seizure of over 1,600 baggage of counterfeit rice valued at roughly N5 billion.
The raid, initiated below the directive of NAFDAC’s Director-Normal, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, sought to safeguard public well being in the course of the festive season.
Officers uncovered counterfeit rice repackaged in branded baggage, together with common names like Huge Bull, Royal Stallion, and Tomato Aposo, designed to deceive customers.
Throughout the enforcement operation, led by Mr. Kenneth Azikiwe, Director of the FCT Directorate of NAFDAC, on the Karu facility, empty branded rice baggage had been additionally found.
Operation prompted by intelligence reviews
Azikiwe defined that the operation was initiated primarily based on intelligence acquired from members of the general public and reviews from the homeowners of the affected manufacturers.
“Upon receiving these intelligence suggestions, NAFDAC Director-Normal, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, issued a directive that solely protected, high quality, and healthful meals merchandise needs to be out there to Nigerians in the course of the yuletide and past.
“She particularly instructed that these counterfeiting common manufacturers of rice needs to be arrested and their merchandise faraway from the market,” he added.
Crackdown on counterfeiting and rebranding
Azikiwe additional famous that the NAFDAC D-G additionally ordered company enforcement actions towards these rebranding different individuals’s merchandise.
“This act of counterfeiting rice is unlawful. Shoppers consider they’re shopping for high quality merchandise, however the high quality is usually substandard,” he emphasised.
Night time operations in residential warehouses
Following surveillance actions, NAFDAC uncovered services the place a girl specialised in repackaging common rice manufacturers resembling Bull 25kg, Stallion Rice 10kg, and Tomatoes Rice 25kg, amongst others. The operation was carried out in a warehouse behind her residential home, which is completed solely at evening.
“As soon as the repackaging is accomplished, the merchandise are moved to a different warehouse in the course of the day on the market to unsuspecting customers,” Azikiwe defined. To keep away from suspicion, the packaging supplies had been saved in her residence.
- Throughout the raid, NAFDAC confiscated the packaging supplies, seized completed merchandise, and inspected her warehouse and shops.
- All counterfeit manufacturers discovered there have been confiscated. Further warehouses concerned in comparable operations had been additionally visited, and their merchandise had been destroyed.
Client advisory and precautions
Azikiwe suggested the general public to purchase items solely from accredited and trusted meals outlets, particularly in the course of the festive season.
“Individuals should be taught to buy from respected sellers or supermarkets that preserve a dependable provide chain for high quality merchandise,” he said.
He additional urged Nigerians to at all times test for NAFDAC registration numbers, together with the manufacturing and expiry dates, on all merchandise they buy.
Be First to Comment