By Azeez Sulaiman
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has sealed 18 warehouses in Bida, Niger State, over the storage of expired food and beverage products valued at more than ₦100M.
The affected warehouses are located around Ndazabo White House along Minna Road and behind Bida Modern Market.
According to the agency, the enforcement action followed intelligence reports, which prompted its Investigation and Enforcement Directorate to carry out a raid on the facilities.
NAFDAC said large quantities of expired products were recovered during the operation, including non-alcoholic beverages, dairy milk, bottled water, candies, and pasta. Some of the items were reportedly already packaged for distribution.
The agency disclosed that about 80,000 packets of expired non-alcoholic drinks; 5,000 packets of dairy milk and 16,000 packets of bottled water were uncovered. Also recovered were 28 cartons of pasta and other assorted expired goods.
Managers of the affected warehouses were arrested for interrogation. Meanwhile, preliminary investigations had allegedly linked the warehouses to a company identified as BY Ventures, prompting officials to extend the operation to supermarkets owned by the company in Minna.
NAFDAC said additional expired products and suspected counterfeit Goya oil were discovered in the supermarkets, which were subsequently sealed.
The Managing Director of the company, Alhaji Yusuf Nadabo, was invited for questioning which he admitted ownership of the expired items during interrogation.
The agency further stated that investigations are ongoing and that appropriate regulatory sanctions would be applied upon conclusion of the process.
The agency reiterated its commitment to protecting public health and ensuring compliance with food safety regulations.