The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NAFDAC) has discovered factories in the Cemetery market in Abia state where counterfeit wines and fizzy drinks are being produced.
According to Channels TV, the agency raided the market and found shops where adulterated products from other brands were being replicated. A video shared online revealed wines and fizzy drinks in cartons, produced by the criminals and ready for distribution to unsuspecting consumers. The products even bore counterfeit NAFDAC numbers.
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During the raid, NAFDAC Director for the South East zone, Martins Iluyomade, announced that the market would remain closed for the time being. He expressed his concern about the illegal activities taking place in the market.
“Every single shop you see here is a factory and everybody is manufacturing products. There are two sets of illegality going on here,” Iluyomade said. He explained that some people were producing large quantities of other brands’ products in such a way that the original manufacturers might not be able to distinguish their products from the counterfeits.
These fake products were being manufactured in poor conditions, using harmful chemicals and colorings. The process involved simply getting a rubber, a mixer, a sieve, and bottling the concoction for people to consume.
Iluyomade voiced his fears about the potential health risks, especially during the yuletide period when many people have stocked up on drinks at home. “You don’t even know the source of the drinks you have bought. We have had a high level of increase in renal failure, kidney failure and all of that,” he warned.
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