The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has uncovered a massive illegal operation involving fake chemicals, expired food flavours, fertilisers, and repackaged raw materials in the Alapere area of Ketu, Lagos.

The operation, which took place on Tuesday, led to the arrest of three suspects and the sealing of three warehouses.

Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Dr. Martins Iluyomade, said the raid followed credible intelligence about a criminal network endangering public health.

“This is one of the campaigns our agency is carrying out to protect the health of Nigerians. We received information that some individuals are pretending to run a legitimate business, but in reality, they are engaging in serious criminal activities that put people's lives at risk,” he said.

“As an agency set up by law to stop such crimes, we stepped in to make sure those involved are brought to justice. The main offence here is the sale of expired chemicals.

“Everyone knows that chemicals are raw materials. Some are precursors used to make other chemicals, while others go directly into the production of goods people consume. If an expired chemical is used, it is impossible to get a safe or effective final product. That is a serious health risk.

“Sadly, that is not the only issue. We have also discovered dangerous chemicals that pose a serious security threat. These are not meant to be handled by private individuals. They are supposed to be handled only by government agencies or licensed end users.

“We found fertilisers among the items. These require clearance from the National Security Adviser before anyone can distribute them. Yet, this person has been stocking and selling them freely.

“Another major concern is the expired food-grade products we found, including one inside a vehicle. These are food additives. The disturbing part is that they came from a registered company in Nigeria. That company has the legal right to import them. Somehow, the expired batch ended up with a third party who is not a manufacturer. That raises serious questions about how some multinationals are operating in this country.

“We are going to investigate those companies as well because they may be supporting illegal activities. We must get to the root of this matter.

“So far, we have found three warehouses in this same area belonging to this individual. The total value of what we have seen here is not less than one billion naira. That is the scale of the illegal operation we are dealing with.”

Director of Chemical Evaluation and Control, Dr. Leonard Omokpariola, listed the items found at the scene.

“There are many substances found in the three warehouses, just as my colleague mentioned earlier. Some of these substances are strictly controlled and should never be in the possession of an individual like this.

“We found caustic soda, which is also known as sodium hydroxide. We found urea fertiliser, which should not be stored in this type of environment, especially not in a junkyard. We also found propylene glycol. That substance is used as an excipient in the production of pharmaceutical products. Shockingly, we even found metronidazole benzoate in this location. Metronidazole is an active pharmaceutical ingredient.

“In one of the vehicles, we saw a variety of food flavourings. There was roasted chicken flavour, roasted beef flavour, Chinook flavour, tiger nut flavour, and many more. The chemicals discovered were so numerous.

“This individual is operating with complete disregard for the law. Many of the substances are expired. In one of the warehouses, we found packaging materials produced by the suspect himself. He had already printed expiry dates on them. For instance, on items that had already expired, he relabelled them with new expiry dates, such as 2026. He even marked them as ‘Made in China.’

“We found packaging materials for sodium bicarbonate and caustic soda. Nobody manufactures caustic soda in Nigeria. So how did he come about it? He is most likely collecting expired chemicals and repackaging them. We also saw a product that had a ‘QC certified’ label on it. That label means the product has passed quality control and is ready for production. Such items should only be used under strict guidelines.

“One of the shocking discoveries was a cola additive. That is a restricted substance. Yet this man somehow has access to it. This raises serious concerns.

“The investigation is just beginning. We will not stop at the suspect alone. There are many others who may be involved. The suspect must surrender immediately. He should report himself to the Investigation and Enforcement unit at Apapa today. They are available around the clock. If he fails to show up, he will have himself to blame. We will find him no matter where he hides.

“We are also using this opportunity to warn other companies. If you have expired products, there is a laid-down procedure to follow. NAFDAC has clear guidelines online on how to handle expired materials. Some products that are not for food use may be revalidated, but food-grade chemicals are not revalidated. Pharmaceutical-grade chemicals are also not revalidated.

“There are strict rules for getting excipients. It is not a casual process. A lot of scrutiny is involved. No one gave this man any authorisation to have those excipients. He must explain how he got them.

“This is a very serious issue. As my colleague rightly pointed out, this is even worse than selling expired paracetamol. If you see expired paracetamol, you know not to use it. But when expired chemicals are used to manufacture drugs, how will you know? You cannot tell by looking. Only proper laboratory testing can reveal that. Otherwise, it is impossible to detect.”

"So far at the moment three persons have been arrested".