Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has uncovered a suspected counterfeit drinks production facility at Zamfara Plaza, BBA Trade Fair Complex, along the Badagry Expressway in Ojo, Lagos State, arresting two suspects allegedly involved in the illegal operation .
The suspects, identified as Chibuzor Okafor and William John, were arrested during an enforcement operation in a two-storey building where equipment and materials allegedly used to repackage and produce counterfeit alcoholic and energy drinks were discovered . The raid followed credible intelligence and surveillance on suspected counterfeiters operating within the Trade Fair International Market .
Speaking during the operation, the Assistant Director of the Investigation and Enforcement Directorate of NAFDAC, Mr Kunle Ojo, said the agency caught some of the suspects in the act and recovered drums, filters, packaging materials, a heating device and other equipment allegedly used in the illicit production process . "Gentlemen of the press, as you can see today, when we came, we caught some red-handed people producing all kinds of alcoholic drinks," Ojo said . "What we have discovered today is a lot, and it's mind-boggling. We are here to protect the lives of many Nigerians" .
Ojo said the agency intensified its enforcement activities ahead of the festive season, when demand for alcoholic and other beverages typically rises . He warned that the circulation of counterfeit drinks posed a serious public health concern, urging suspected manufacturers to abandon the illegal trade. "You are killing Nigerians in order to make money, which is not good," he said . The NAFDAC official disclosed that the agency would investigate the source of the products, the raw materials used and the individuals allegedly financing or directing the operation . "Those people that we have arrested today will be dealt with administratively and definitely will face the law," Ojo said.
The operation revealed a range of products allegedly linked to the counterfeit activity, including Bullet Energy Drink, Don Julio tequila and Jameson whiskey . A video shared by the agency on its official X account showed stacks of blue cans of Bullet energy drinks piled up in a storage area, alongside loose cans, cardboard boxes and other materials . The footage also showed a large blue plastic barrel containing discarded materials, bottles and other items scattered around the premises, as well as two men seated on the floor against a wall . Empty bottles of alcoholic beverages, bottle caps, corks, labels and packaging materials were seen scattered across the floor and stored in boxes and bags . A bottle of Martell cognac was also among the materials, while plastic bags containing caps and seals, printed labels and other packaging items were displayed in what appeared to be a makeshift production space.
One of the arrested suspects, Chibuzor Okafor, who identified himself as a drinks dealer in the market, told journalists at the scene that he changed the bottles of some drinks because the original containers were damaged. "I deal in drinks. I change the bottle of the drink. It's not that the bottle is not good. It's the drink in there, because the other one is already damaged. So that's why we are putting it in the next bottle," he said.
The agency's Deputy Director of Public Relations, Mrs Christiana Obiazikwor, said NAFDAC routinely carried out surveillance, seizures, arrests and destruction of unregistered and counterfeit products, despite public criticism that it was not doing enough to tackle the menace. "NAFDAC is still at work. We are on the streets. We are in the markets. We are everywhere," she said . She explained that enforcement teams often conducted operations without publicity to avoid alerting suspected offenders or triggering confrontations, and that the agency decided to take journalists along on the latest operation to demonstrate its activities and reassure Nigerians that it remained committed to protecting public health . Obiazikwor urged members of the public to report suspected counterfeit production and distribution directly to NAFDAC rather than merely posting allegations on social media. "There's no point going to social media to create fear. Report to NAFDAC, and we'll do the needful," she said.
The Assistant Director and Head of Public Relations at the Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, Mrs Victoria Jennifer Akudu, said the raid formed part of the agency's routine efforts to uncover illegal manufacturing activities and protect consumers. She disclosed that the suspected operators had allegedly moved from an earlier location following enforcement action, prompting officials to continue tracking their activities. "We have confiscated and sealed off the place. They moved to another place. This time around, we passed through the back door. And that is how we are able to get them," she said . She said the agency would invite the media to witness the destruction of the recovered items to ensure transparency and prevent the products from returning to circulation.
The discovery comes amid broader enforcement activities by NAFDAC targeting counterfeit and substandard products in Lagos State. The agency had previously seized alcoholic beverages valued at an estimated N300 million packaged in sachets and PET bottles with capacities below 200 millilitres during enforcement operations at Ile-Epo Market, Ojuwoye Market in Mushin and Oke-Arin Market on Lagos Island . In April 2026, NAFDAC dismantled two illegal production outlets involved in the counterfeiting and adulteration of alcoholic beverages in Lagos State, recovering over 1,800 cartons of counterfeit and adulterated alcoholic products valued at approximately N350 million . The agency has repeatedly warned against the circulation of counterfeit and substandard regulated products and urged Nigerians to remain vigilant when purchasing alcoholic beverages and other regulated goods.
For consumers, the discovery underscores the risks associated with purchasing beverages from unverified sources, particularly during the festive season when demand for alcoholic and energy drinks rises. For NAFDAC, the operation represents a demonstration of its enforcement capacity amid persistent public criticism about the prevalence of counterfeit products in Nigerian markets. For the two suspects in custody, the investigation will determine their culpability, and they are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction. As Ojo put it, those arrested would face administrative action and prosecution in accordance with the law, and the recovered items would be evacuated to the agency's warehouse for destruction in line with established procedures .
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