The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has arrested a local footballer, identified as Mr. Ikechukwu Elijah, for running an illegal chemical factory in the Apo-Waru area of Abuja.
The suspect, according to the agency, was manufacturing and distributing hazardous, unregistered chemicals disguised as popular brands to unsuspecting buyers.
NAFDAC’s Deputy Director of Public Relations and Protocol, Mr. Adegboyega Osiyemi, confirmed the development in a statement on Friday.
He said Elijah initially denied involvement but later admitted ownership of the illegal operation after detectives discovered incriminating evidence at the site.
“After a thorough search of the premises, the suspect confessed to running the facility. His younger brother was also arrested during the raid,” Osiyemi disclosed.
The enforcement team, led by Mr. Embugushiki Godiya of the Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, confiscated sealing machines, high-capacity cylinders, and large chemical containers. Finished products found on-site were evacuated.
In a related raid, NAFDAC sealed off MZEE Table Water in the Damangaza district of Abuja for producing sachet and bottled water under unhygienic conditions with a fake license. Investigations revealed that the factory lacked basic facilities such as a certified borehole and water treatment system.
“When contacted, the owner of the factory insisted her business was registered, but our findings proved otherwise,” Godiya explained.
Acting on intelligence, the agency also stormed a shopping plaza opposite the World Trade Centre in Abuja’s Central Business District, where counterfeit rice and packaging materials were recovered. Officials estimated the total street value of seized items during the operations at over ₦60 million.
Mr. Godiya attributed the successful crackdown to the directives of NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, who has tasked enforcement officers with ensuring public health safety.
“Counterfeit and substandard products expose Nigerians to great danger. The DG has given clear marching orders that Nigerians must consume only safe food and efficacious medicines,” he said.
He urged the public to avoid suspicious or uncertified products, stressing that suspects apprehended would be charged in court.
