The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has busted a syndicate involved in producing and distributing fake chemicals, expired flavourings, illegal fertilisers, and wrongly packaged pharmaceutical ingredients, with products valued at over N1 billion.
The discovery was made during a recent operation in the Alapere area of Ketu, Lagos.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the 8th of July, 2025, NAFDAC confirmed that three suspects were apprehended. The agency also sealed off three warehouses where the illicit goods were stored.
Dr. Martins Iluyomade, who heads NAFDAC’s Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, said the crackdown followed verified intelligence that exposed a large-scale operation targeting the food and drug supply chain.
“This is one of the campaigns our agency is carrying out to protect the health of Nigerians,” he said.
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Iluyomade explained that the suspects were caught repackaging expired chemical substances for use in consumable products.
“Chemicals are either precursors for other materials or are directly used in the production of consumable goods. Using expired chemicals means that the final product cannot be safe or effective. That is a serious health risk,” he added.
Also speaking during the raid, Dr. Leonard Omokpariola, Director of Chemical Evaluation and Research at NAFDAC, revealed the range of harmful materials recovered.
“We found expired food flavourings, roasted beef, roasted chicken, Chinook, tiger nut, and also active pharmaceutical ingredients like metronidazole benzoate,” he said.