By Alice Etuka, Abuja
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has destroyed an illegal alcoholic manufacturing factory worth N50million in Badagry, Lagos State.
Resident Media Consultant to NAFDAC, Sayo Akintola disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday, May 12, 2024.
Akintola explained that NAFDAC enforcement officers, aided by intelligence from the Nigerian Army’s 15 Field Engineering Regiment in Badagry, dismantled the operations of Mr. Chinedu Okafor, an illegal drinks manufacturer operating from his residence at No. 24, MTN Road, Badagry.
He said, Mr. Okafor’s suspicious activities caught the attention of the Nigerian Army, leading to his arrest and subsequent handover to NAFDAC officers at the Ports Inspection Directorate, Seme Border.
Upon inspection, officers evacuated all equipment and materials used in the production of illicit drinks, and effectively shut down the illegal factory.
Investigations revealed that Mr. Okafor’s longstanding involvement in this criminal activity, which has potentially compromised regulated alcohol drinks in the Badagry area.
NAFDAC therefore emphasised the need for public vigilance and urged citizens to report suspicious activities to safeguard public health.
According to the statement which read in part, “Mr. Okafor will face prosecution, and all offending products will be destroyed, with an estimated value exceeding fifty million naira (₦50,000,000).
“Drinking adulterated alcohol can cause nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, drowsiness, and dizziness, blue tinged or pale skin, irregular or slow breathing, low body temperature, unconsciousness or passing out. It can also lead to kidney and liver failure or even DEATH. Methanol, a substance which can be used in fake vodka, may cause permanent blindness.
“WHO, in their Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health estimated that more than three million people died all over the world as a result of alcohol poisoning. Furthermore, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) ascertained that one of every 10 cancer cases in Nigeria can be traced to Alcohol and 4.7 percent of overall cancer cases in Nigeria in 2019 can be attributed to consumption of adulterated alcohol”.
While urging Nigerians to remain vigilant, the agency also tasked consumers to always scrutinize branded drinks to distinguish them from counterfeits before consuming them.
It further urged the public to report any suspicious activity of illegal producers of adulterated products or similar activities to the nearest NAFDAC office nationwide.
