By Doris Obinna

As part of its efforts to curb food fraud and others, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), paraded two suspects in connection with food fraud, distribution and sales of unregistered energy drink and counterfeit medicines.
The Agency, while parading the suspects on Thursday, said they were paraded on a case of importation, distribution and sale of unregistered and expired G-Man organic Energy Drink, counterfeit medicines and narcotic drugs.
The Director General, NAFDAC Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye said the suspects were investigated by the Investigation and Enforcement Directorate in Asaba, Delta state, before they were apprehended.
“One Mr Okeke Udeze Francis of No 28 Otigba Crescent, G.R.A Onitsha, Anambra state was arrested with expired G-Man organic energy drink in Onitsha, Anambra state. Further investigation led to a warehouse in Aba, Abia state where evidence of revalidation of the expiry date of the drink was established.
“The case was subsequently transferred to the office of the Director, Investigation and Enforcement Directorate in Lagos where Mr Okeke admitted to dealing on the product (G-Man energy drink) and he stated that he got the product from one Mr Uchenna Nwachi through one Mr Collins in Aba, Abia state.
“Following this revelation, investigation was intensified to get the other suspects arrested. Further investigation revealed that the violative G-Man energy drink was manufactured in Germany and was imported into Nigeria when some of the products were already expired, and some were close to expiry (and later expired after importation).
“The expiry dates on the products when imported were 18/12/2020 and 18/12/2022. The violative products were sent to Nigeria by one Mr Paschal Emeka Udo, who is said to be based in the United Kingdom.”
“Mr Wilson John who was an accomplice in the case was later arrested after we extracted a video recording of him cleaning the original date markings on the products with the intent to affix an extended date marking on the G-Man energy drink.
“This is a case of food fraud, where the suspects intentionally aspired to deceive its customers about the quality of the food they are purchasing, even though the food (G-Man) had gone past the best before date and the quality would have degraded.
“Mr Nwachi, who contracted out the revalidation of the product to Mr Wilson (a staff of the importer) was also arrested and in custody. Two of the suspects including the importer of the products are still at large and efforts are still on to arrest them. The suspects in custody will be charged to court,” she said.
“Also, intelligence tracking of a suspected importer of fake Basslox capsules (ampicillin 250mg + cloxacillin 250mg) lead to the arrest of an infamous counterfeit medicines and narcotics drugs importer and distributor, Mr Emmanuel Obidike.
“Painstaking surveillance and investigation on the reported case of Basslox capsules lead to the arrest of one Mr Anayo Okoye who eventually led us to Obidike who is a notorious importer of counterfeit medicines. “Obidike is known in the underworld counterfeit drugs trade as ‘Emma to-match’ which is a fall out of his criminal act of counterfeiting popular brands of drugs. Some international brands of drugs, packaging materials and security materials were recovered from his warehouse.
“The Marketing Authorization Holders of the international brands confirmed that the products recovered from the suspect were not from their company and therefore were fake. The two suspects have been arraigned at Federal High Court in Awka Anambra state,” Adeyeye stated.
Meanwhile, the agency disclosed that on June 9, 2023, the Investigation and Enforcement Directorate stormed a warehouse belonging to Feed Avenue Limited in the Idu Industrial area of the Federal Capital Territory following an intelligence report.
“The company, belonging to a French national was revalidating the expiry dates of expired animal feeds premix which were not registered by NAFDAC.
“The warehouse manager who was on ground as at the time of visit gave the total value of the revalidated finished products at one billion and nine hundred million naira (N1,900,000,000.0) only. “The warehouse was sealed and the warehouse manager was arrested. The French national who own the company refused to show up to honour the invitation that we extended to him as he immediately travelled out of Nigeria afterwards. Premixes are not intended for direct feeding of animals.
“They are complex mixtures of vitamins, minerals, trace elements and other feed additives that are incorporated at levels between 0.2 per cent and 0.5 per cent in the compound feed, manufacturing of which requires specific technology and is often performed by specialized companies.
“Premixes fall under food in the statutory grouping of NAFDAC regulated products, and are therefore registered as food. Feed Avenue Ltd is carrying out illegal production of unregistered food products and even committing a criminal act of revalidating expired products.
“The products were sampled against the company and have been sent to NAFDAC laboratory for analysis after which appropriate sanction will be meted out to the company,’ she added.

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