NAFDAC nabs 14 over manufacture of ‘fake’ Custard brands

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has arrested 14 persons at Eziukwu Market in Aba, Abia State where an organised illegal food production facility was located for illegal manufacture of the fake version of registered Custard products.

The suspects include: Akabueze Emmanuel, Ngozi Moughalu Cecilia, Chisom Ikem, James Ndobueze, Chika Emmanuel, Chinyere Nsofor, Victoria Chibueze, Nnenna Onuwa, Oluchi Ukpai, Onuoha Chidinma, Nnnena Chukwu, Ogechi Chukwu, Anurika Iloanya and Nwadike Emmanuel.

Director General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, at a news briefing recently said that the items discovered were bags of uncertified industrial corn starch, gas cylinders, sealers, generating sets, promotional items such as notebooks and weighing scales, spoons.

Orhii explained: “On April 2, 2013, we received a report from Lisabi Mills (Nigeria) Ltd that their flagship product, Gold’s Custard has been a subject of faking, counterfeiting and passing off. This has been causing them losses of several millions of Naira every month with the attendant injuries these counterfeit products cause on unsuspecting Nigerians who use them.

“On the receipt of this notice, I directed the federal taskforce to investigate the case and bring the culprits to book. The federal taskforce immediately swung into action in close collaboration with Lisabi. During the investigations it was discovered that different brands of food products amongst which were popular brands of Custard Powder were counterfeited and sold in the markets. Further investigation led us to the Cemetery or Eziukwu Market in Aba, Abia State where an organised illegal food production facility was located. Surveillance activities were carried out in April and May 2013.

“The reports of the surveillance activities were worrisome and needed prompt intervention. For example, Truckloads of the fake Gold’s custard were seeing dispatched, the streets and closes’ within the market have no names and numbers, and a building serving as a manufacturing premise was identified and has an American Flag hoisted on it to distract attention.

“Yesterday, the federal taskforce struck. The operation which lasted for about two hours started by 1:30 pm and ended by 3:45 pm leading to the closure of six illegal manufacturing factories located on the first floor of the three storey building inside the market and arrest of fourteen suspects was made.


“The operation was not without few incidences as attempts were made by the mob around the scene to cause confusion that will lead to breakdown of law and order, which may eventually result in the failure of the operation, but for the matured conduct of all members of the combined team.”

 Orhii attributed the discovery to the new strategy adopted by NAFDAC. “When I addressed you two days ago, I informed you of our new strategy in addition to the earlier ones we adopted to scoop out, wherever they may be, those who deal in counterfeit and substandard regulated products.

This strategy involves the close collaboration and cooperation with our stakeholders in the fight against substandard/spurious/falsified/falsely labeled/counterfeit (SSFFC) regulated products. It is my pleasure to inform you today that those strategies have started yielding results,” he said.

The NAFDAC boss reiterated the agency’s stand on zero tolerance to counterfeiting in line with President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Transformation Agenda. “We will match breach of our regulatory provisions with appropriate enforcement including demolishing of any building that is used as a manufacturing or warehousing facility for counterfeit products. We will not relent in this effort till we bring the level counterfeit regulated products to the barest minimum in this country,” he said.