NAFDAC SEALS 18 WAREHOUSES IN NIGER STATE, RECOVERS EXPIRED PRODUCTS WORTH OVER ₦100 MILLION

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has arrested five persons and sealed 18 warehouses in Bida, Niger State, following the discovery of expired food and beverage products valued at over ₦100 million. The enforcement action, carried out by the agency’s Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, was prompted by credible intelligence that led operatives to the facilities located around Ndazabo White House along Minna Road and behind Bida Modern Market.

NAFDAC disclosed that large quantities of expired non-alcoholic beverages, dairy milk, candies, bottled water, and pasta were recovered during the operation. Officials revealed that some of the items had already been repackaged and were set for distribution into the market. Items confiscated include about 80,000 packets of expired non-alcoholic drinks, 5,000 packets of dairy milk, 16,000 packets of bottled water, and 28 cartons of pasta, alongside other assorted expired products.

Managers of the affected warehouses were immediately taken into custody for interrogation. Preliminary investigations, according to the agency, linked the warehouses to a company identified as BY Ventures. Acting on this development, NAFDAC extended its enforcement to supermarkets reportedly owned by the company in Minna, the Niger State capital, where additional expired products were allegedly uncovered. The agency also said counterfeit Goya oil was found on the premises. The two supermarkets were subsequently sealed.

The company’s Managing Director, Alhaji Yusuf Nadabo, was invited for questioning. NAFDAC said he admitted ownership of the expired products during interrogation. The agency stated that investigations are ongoing and assured that appropriate regulatory sanctions would be imposed upon conclusion to deter others from engaging in similar acts.

NAFDAC reiterated its commitment to safeguarding public health by ridding the market of expired and counterfeit products, warning that offenders would face the full weight of the law.