NAFDAC seals market in Aba over N5b worth of fake, expired products

A total of 150 shops at Eziukwu Market in Aba, a suburb of Abia State, have been shut down following an operation by the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

NAFDAC announced that it carried out a two-day operation in the market on December 16 and 17, 2024. During the operation, the agency uncovered large-scale production and distribution of fake and expired goods.

“NAFDAC has shut down 150 shops at Eziukwu Market, Aba, Abia State, during a two-day operation on December 16 and 17, 2024. The team uncovered large-scale production and distribution of fake and expired goods, including beverages, carbonated drinks, wines, spirits, vegetable oils, and revalidated food items such as noodles, powdered milk, and yoghurt,” NAFDAC announced via a post on X on Wednesday.

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The NAFDAC Director for the South-East Zone, Dr Martins Iluyomade, described the market as a haven for counterfeit and substandard products.

Pictures and videos displaying sachets of Peak Milk, cans of Sonia tomato paste, a bottle of Golden Penny Vegetable Oil, and various other expired and fake products uncovered during the operation were attached to the post.

The agency also noted that the destroyed items were valued at ₦5 billion.

This incident occurred a year after some of the market’s leaders signed an undertaking with NAFDAC to expose counterfeiters operating in the market.