Rivers: NAFDAC raids factories,arrests 2 suspects, seizes unwholesome products
Barth Ndubuwah, Port Harcourt
National Agency for Food, Drugs And Administration Control (NAFDAC) said it has raided some black spots in Rivers State where unwholesome products are manufactured.
In a statement issued in Port Harcourt by the NAFDAC Public Relations Officer(PRO), South South Zone, Cyril Monye, it said the Enforcement Team of the Agency led by the Rivers State Coordinator, Mrs Chinelo Ejeh raided “unregistered bread at Abuloma Road area of the metropolis and some packaged water factories in Port Harcourt. The raid became necessary following a tip-off by concerned citizens about the products,”the statement said.
The statement said the raid took the NAFDAC Enforcement Team, accompanied by police officers to Fimie Market, Abuloma in Port Harcourt Local Government Area,where a large quantity of unregistered Nourish Delight Bread and Doughnuts were confiscated.
A 33-year-old woman, identified as Mercy Eloka was said to be arrested in connection with the production of the unregistered products.
“The team also raided a satchet water factory, Obirieze Global Resources located at First Odums Street, Off East West Road, Rumuchakara, Choba Port Harcourt. The factory was operating in a substandard facility with poor filtration equipment,altered production flow,while packaged water were being packed on barefloor,” the statement said.
The PRO also said that the company was producing with expired license and with the name of the satchet as ‘Resources Table Water’ instead of ‘Nedu Table Water’, which the company registered with NAFDAC. The registration number was said to have been falsified.
The statement said the team equally arrested another 25 year old female worker, named Jennifer Godwin and destroyed bags of unwholesome satchet water produced for sale by the outfit.
NAFDAC Rivers State Coordinator warned producers of regulated products in the State to strictly keep to the guidelines and standards of the Regulatory Body or be ready to face the full wrath of the law. It also called on the general public to avail it with necessary information that could lead to the arrest of unscrupulous producers who it said are bent on endangering public health.