Tony Okafor, Awka

The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control has threatened to sanction market leaders in Anambra State for allegedly shielding those who produce fake and adulterated products.

The Chief Regulatory Officer, Enforcement/Investigation Directorate, NAFDAC, Lagos, Mr. Hassan Abubakar issued the threat on Saturday during a raid on Ogbaru Relief Market, near Onitsha.

Abubakar wondered why market leaders would not act while fake and adulterated products were produced and sold in markets under their watch.

Tanko called for collaboration of the market leadership with NAFDAC to combat the scourge.

He said the agency would continue sensitisation against counterfeiting and unwholesome products as well as carry out regular enforcements and prosecution of offenders to deter others from the illegal business.

He added, “Nigerians are not fair to themselves from what we saw at the market; we will invite the management of the market to come and explain why such had been happening for years without them doing anything.”

During the raid, the agency nabbed eight suspects, including a nursing mother, who were allegedly producing fake alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks.

It confiscated adulterated drinks and production materials worth millions of Naira and sealed off no fewer than four shops in the market.

Some of the registered drinks discovered and confiscated by the agency were J&W, Baron Romero, Lord’s Dry Gin, Seaman’s Schnapps, Carlo Rossi, Red Label, Hennessy, McDowell’s and Remy Martins.

The Assistant Director, Enforcement and Investigation Directorate, NAFDAC, Lagos, Mr. Waheed Agboola, said, “Factories are not supposed to be sited in markets; you saw the factories, very unhygienic environment and we even saw maggots and cockroaches.

“These finished fake products are sold within the market. It was difficult to differentiate between the original and fake of such products which might probably be the reason why people go down with liver and kidney problems.

“The mischievous productions have been going on for years because we saw receipts dated as far back as 2006 and nobody reported until recently,” he said.

Agboola said the eight suspects would be investigated to ascertain their level of culpability, adding that some of them may be taken to Lagos for further investigation.

Punchng