The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, (NAFDAC South-South Zone), has uncovered an illegal factory at Afaha Obong in Abak Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. The factory is said to specialize in faking of alcoholic beverages of different brands.
It was gathered that the gigantic factory which existed in the remote village for years, producing fake alcoholic beverages of local and foreign brands had continued to thrive until agents of Diego Nigeria Limited, distributors of Henessey, Black Label, Baileys and such like lodged a complaint at NAFDAC office in Uyo, leading to the discovery and the arrest of wife of the kingpin, Mrs. Uyime Etokakpan.
Speaking on the development, the State Coordinator of NAFDAC in Akwa Ibom, Collins Ogedegbe, said that the NAFDAC team were able to penetrate the enclave based on the security back up of men of the Nigeria Police Force.
According to him, “Thousands of empty bottles of different brands of alcoholic beverages, labels, empty cartons of drinks, crown cocks and already finished products were found in the premises. The kingpin, Mr. Peter Etokakpan was not found during the raid but his wife who is also a partner in the illegal business was arrested.”
A release by the agency’s head of Public Relations unit, South-South, Cyril Monye, added that NAFDAC could not enter the production room due to the heavy metal barricade and the scene created by the arrested woman which almost led to a pandemonium as young men and women started pelting stones at the NAFDAC team and Police who were on the spot. The scenario, according to the release revealed that was the first time a regulatory body had been able to penetrate the illegal production factory.
Meanwhile, the agency promised that the case will be transferred to the Enforcement Directorate of NAFDAC for further action.
In similar vein, the team also visited another alcoholic beverage factory named ‘Sir Bigman Industries Limited’, producers of Bigman products at Ikot Ekpene. Though the company had previously registered with NAFDAC its license had expired and the owner resorted to faking other companies’ products which they produced in a very unhygienic condition.
As a deterrent, the company had been subsequently sealed off and the fake products evacuated to NAFDAC office, Uyo.
The state coordinator of the agency warned fakers to desist from their unwholesome practices and commence registration processes if they were interested in producing any product, promising that no counterfeiters will find a safe haven in Akwa Ibom State.
