NAFDAC Nabs 5 for Faking Tomato Paste, Syrups, Other Consumables

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Dr. Paul Orhii,
Martins Ifijeh

The National Agency for Food and Drug
Administration and Control (NAFDAC) said it had
arrested five persons for alleged faking and sale of
expired consumer products.

The Director General of the agency, Dr. Paul Orhii,
who was represented by the Head of the Investigative
and Enforcement Directorate, Mr. Kingsley Ejiofor,
revealed this at a press conference in Lagos on Friday.
He said the suspects were arrested following intelligence
report which showed they were counterfeiting Derica
Tomato Paste, maxiquine syrup, corn beef, among other
consumer products.

According to him, one of the suspects, Mr. Charles
Onyekachi imported a 1.20 feet container of the Derica
Tomato Paste from China and shipped them to Cotonou,
Benin Republic from where they were transported to
Kano.

He said: “Onyekachi has his own registered products
with our agency, among which is tomato paste, but
because he wanted to play smart, he was selling his
registered brand along with the counterfeited ones to
discredit the popular Derica Tomato Paste brand with
an intent to gain market space.

“The quantity and value of his counterfeited products
released to the market is four times that of his own
registered brand. The counterfeit product is worth N8
million,” the DG stated.
He said a criminal charge had been filed against the
suspect at the Federal High Court, Lagos, where he
would be arraigned.

Orhii said the agency also arrested two suspects,
Tochukwu Ozala and Obiora Ochuba for production,
distribution and sale of counterfeit Maxiquine Syrup.
He said that the suspects were arrested by the police in
Onitsha with four bags of empty bottles of Maxiquine
Syrup, four litres of white liquid chemicals, one bottle of
unlabeled substance and 12 empty cartons.

According to him, Ozala, during interrogation claimed
that the Maxiquine Syrup belonged to one Mr Emma
who was currently at large. “On Feb. 12, the same
Ozala was arrested for counterfeiting of a popular brand
of codeine-containing cough syrup. That case is still
being investigated before he committed another crime,” he
said.

He described the suspect as an unrepentant drug
counterfeiter whose activities constituted a serious risk to
the society and public health, adding that he would be
prosecuted at the Federal High Court as soon as
investigation was concluded.

The DG said the main counterfeiter of the codeine-
containing cough syrup, one Mr. Chisom Onwudinjo,
was at large and was hereby declared wanted. He said
handsome reward awaited anybody with useful
information that can lead to his arrest.

The director also reported the arrest of one Mr
Onyekachi Okafor in Aba for alleged distribution and
sale of counterfeit Renew Cold Water Starch.
He said another suspect, Okeke Ebula was caught in
the very act of re-labelling expired food products at
Ebuka Ventures located at Trade Fair Complex,
Lagos, by a team of officials of the directorate while on
routine surveillance in the area.

The products, according to the NAFDAC scribe
included a seasoning liquid, Maggi Arome, Amoy Dark
Soy Sauce and Costa Corned Beef, which he purchased
from Ghana.

“For the Costa Corned Beef, whether expired or not,
the 24- year old suspect changed their labels to Exeter
Corned Beef in order for consumers to patronise the
corned beef because having the name Costa did not
attract many consumers as much as Exeter does,” he
explained.

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