The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has arrested a local footballer, Mr. Ikechukwu Elijah, for allegedly running an illegal chemical manufacturing operation in the Apo-Waru area of Abuja.
In a statement issued on Friday by NAFDAC’s Deputy Director of Public Relations and Protocol, Mr. Adegboyega Osiyemi, the agency disclosed that Elijah was apprehended for producing and distributing hazardous, unregistered chemicals in a residential building.
According to NAFDAC, the suspect initially denied any involvement but later confessed after a thorough search uncovered evidence of illegal production. His younger brother, who was found inside the facility, was also arrested.
The enforcement team, led by Mr. Embugushiki Godiya of the Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, seized sealing machines, high-capacity cylinders, large chemical containers, and evacuated finished products from the premises.
In a related operation, NAFDAC also sealed an illegal water factory, MZEE Table Water, in the Damangaza district of Abuja for operating in unhygienic conditions with fake and expired licenses. Investigators discovered that the facility lacked a certified borehole, water treatment system, and other mandatory safety requirements.
The enforcement team later stormed a shopping plaza opposite the World Trade Centre in Abuja’s Central Business District, where they confiscated counterfeit rice and re-bagging equipment allegedly used to package and sell fake products to unsuspecting consumers.
NAFDAC reiterated its commitment to protecting public health by clamping down on counterfeit and substandard products that endanger Nigerians.
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