NSCDC, Army Bust Alleged Fake Juice Factory in Badagry After 20 Years of Operation
By Temidayo Anthony
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Lagos State Command, in collaboration with the Nigerian Army, has uncovered an alleged fake fruit juice production facility in Aradagun, Badagry, Lagos State.
The facility, reportedly located on Talabi Onilegbale Street, was raided on Saturday, September 19, following five days of surveillance by security operatives.
According to claims attributed to the factory owner, a 48-year-old woman identified as Morenikeji Alawiye, the business had been operating for about 20 years after she allegedly inherited it from her grandmother.
The suspects were reportedly producing and packaging drinks using untreated well water, artificial colouring and industrial sweeteners, without any fruit content.
Investigators also discovered that the products carried an allegedly fake National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) registration number, which was said not to exist on the agency’s database.
Two women, aged 48 and 50, were arrested during the operation, while a truck and several cartons of the suspected products were confiscated.
The suspects and recovered items have reportedly been handed over to NAFDAC for further investigation and necessary regulatory action. The discovery has raised concerns about public health risks and the possible circulation of unsafe beverages in markets across Lagos and neighbouring areas, including Benin City.
There are also calls for NAFDAC to intensify surveillance and conduct random product testing in markets to determine whether the suspected beverages have already entered the distribution chain. Consumers have been advised to verify the registration numbers of packaged drinks through NAFDAC’s official Greenbook database before purchasing or consuming them.
The development has once again highlighted the need for stronger regulatory enforcement, routine market surveillance and public vigilance against the production and distribution of counterfeit food and beverage products.
