The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), on Monday, sealed a popular Lagos mall for stocking, selling and distributing counterfeit wines and spirits.
The regulatory officers of the agency from its Investigation and Enforcement Directorate stormed the three branches of the mall in Ajah, Gbagada and Magodo-Isheri areas of the state in a simultaneous and coordinated operation in company of security men and journalists.
The team leader of the Magodo-Isheri operation, Mr Andy Tamanuwa, a chief regulatory officer, confirmed the sealing of the outfit, maintaining that the exercise was a routine one aimed at ensuring that products sold to consumers conformed to the approved regulatory standards.
Tamanuwa said the seized items were mainly popular brands and expensive imported alcoholic beverages. According to him, “There were complaints received about the sale of cloned wines and spirits against the company and which were discovered to be true when we got here to inspect the place. We found the products and accordingly seized them. They will be evacuated from the outlet for further investigations.”
The chief regulatory officer further revealed that “the exercise was extended to the Gbagada and Ajah outlets of the mall and they were equally sealed following same discoveries.”
NAFDAC has in the recent weeks intensified enforcement activities across the country leading to mop-up of fake products in circulation and sanctioning of erring companies and outlets.
