The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in its sustained efforts to rid the country of unwholesome regulated products has shut down eight shops and one warehouse in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State for producing and selling counterfeit rice to unsuspecting Nigerians.
The total street value of the intercepted rice is put at N5 billion, a statement by NAFDAC said on Friday Morning, adding that a task force team seized over 1,600 bags of counterfeit rice worth about Five Billion Naira in Karu Local Area of Nasarawa state, and Wuse and Garki Markets in Abuja, FCT.
The leader of the enforcement team who is also the Director in charge of FCT, Mr Kenneth Azikiwe told journalists about the raid.
He emphasized that the Agency has zero tolerance for counterfeit products.
Mr Azikiwe said the raid followed an express directive by the Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye that no Nigerian should be short-changed especially at this yuletide season by the criminally minded elements who are out to make fortunes at the detriment of public health by selling counterfeits and unwholesome food products to the unsuspecting consumers.
“This exercise was expressly directed by the Director-General, Prof. Moji Adeyeye to ensure that all counterfeit food products in circulation is mopped up and those involved in counterfeiting popular brands are brought to book”.
“For us at NAFDAC, we implement zero tolerance to counterfeiting and faking in order to ensure that only safe, good quality, wholesome food products are made available to Nigerians during this yuletide season and beyond.” Stressing further, Mr Azikiwe warned the unscrupulous elements who involve in repackaging and counterfeiting the popular brands of food products in order to deceive the unsuspecting consumers to desist from such practice or face the full wrath of the law.
He added that the suspects arrested today for counterfeiting and distributing counterfeit rice will soon be charged to court to serve as a deterrent to others.
“The counterfeited product has been in the market for some time now. We got the information through an intelligent and also complaints from the real manufacturers. As you can see, there are popular brands which are being counterfeited here. So, some of the manufacturers brought complaints to us and also, in the course of our job, we gathered intelligence to know exactly where these criminal elements are operating and that is why we are here today to fish them out.”
The enforcement team also uncovered different printed empty rice bags in the warehouse and shops around Abacha Road in Karu, Nasarawa state with various brands name such as Big Bull, Royal Stallion, Optimum, Tomato Aposo and so on used to package the counterfeited rice to sell to the unsuspecting public who buy the products with the believe that they are buying original brand with the associated quality but at the end, it is a manufacturing exercise that is covered in deceits.
The Director urged Nigerians to always look out for the aesthetic presentation of the products they want to buy. Ensure that the product is registered by NAFDAC and report any suspicious product to the nearest office for further investigation.
