By Pius Awunah
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has arrested an unlicensed chemical producer, Mr. Ikechukwu Elijah, in the Apo-Waru area of Abuja, for manufacturing and distributing hazardous, counterfeit and unregistered chemicals.
The agency announced Elijah’s arrest in a statement shared on its X handle on Friday,September 5,2025.
It said the suspect, who operated an illegal factory in a residential building, was apprehended with his younger brother after the agency’s operatives uncovered counterfeit insecticides, sealing machines and other equipment at the premises.
“In the same operation, we sealed MZEE Table Water, an illegal packaged water factory in the Damangaza district, for operating under unhygienic conditions with a fake and expired license”.
“The facility lacked basic requirements such as a certified borehole and water treatment system,” the statement reads in part.
Meanwhile, NAFDAC said its team also shut down a counterfeit rice production at a shopping plaza opposite the World Trade Centre(WTC), Abuja, where re-bagged popular brands, packaging materials, and sealing machines worth over ₦60 million were seized.
The Director-General of the agency, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye has reaffirmed NAFDAC’s commitment to ensuring Nigerians consume only safe food and medicines.
She urged the public to avoid unregulated products and report suspicious activities, adding that all suspects would face prosecution.
