NAFDAC Officials, Police Officers Attacked By Traders In Lagos

Some officials of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, (NAFDAC), and mobile police officers attached to its enforcement directorate were attacked by traders and touts in Lagos and Ogun states.

This is contained in a statement signed by Anslem Okonkwor, Public Relations Officer, Enforcement Operations of the agency, which was made available on Sunday in Abuja.

It said that the attacked enforcement teams of the agency were on a nationwide raid of fake, unregistered, counterfeit and suspected contaminated vegetable oil in major markets and distribution channels in the Lagos and Ogun states.

“ The traders and touts swooped on them, seized some of the products already evacuated by the teams and beat up one of the Agency’s staff identified as Miss Evelyn Chiemeke”.

It said the exercise was a continuation of its nationwide regulatory exercise aimed at ensuring that Nigerians consume healthy oil as studies have linked consumption of adulterated vegetable oil to rise in heart related diseases.

On the seizures, the statement said a total of 1,040 kegs of MOI vegetable oil were found, as well as thousands of products with mutilated labels; while  six shops were sealed at Alabarago market but evacuation hampered by members of the union and area boys.

“At the Mile 12 Market, a major distributor of fake vegetable oil was raided, traders trooped out and assisted by touts to cause commotion thereby preventing the team from raiding other shops.

“33×25 litres of the offending `MOI Vegetable oil’ were eventually evacuated to our office.

“Two arrests were made and other 438 gallons of 25 litres valued at N6,576,000 were discovered.

“Also 247 gallons were evacuated at Ikorodu market while 55 gallons were kept on hold after forcing the shop open due to the uncooperative posture of the traders,” the statement said.