Officials of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control have arrested two men in Jos, Plateau State, for allegedly changing the expiry dates on expired wines and hot drinks.
The suspects were caught during a two-day operation in the Apata area of Jos between Friday and Saturday.
The raid was part of NAFDAC’s ongoing effort to ensure that only safe and quality products are sold, especially as the festive season draws near.
The Director of NAFDAC, North Central Zone, Kenneth Azikiwe, who led the operation, said the arrest followed a complaint from a consumer who noticed something unusual about a drink.
He said, “We’re here today to address a serious issue where some individuals are altering expiry dates on expired products to deceive buyers. These drinks are sold in small quantities to avoid suspicion. Our investigation led us to this warehouse after a consumer raised an alarm.”
According to him, the culprits used chemicals to clean off the original dates and then printed new labels with fake manufacturing and expiry dates.
Azikiwe confirmed that two suspects, identified as Yusuf Hassan and Emma Nwobi, were arrested, while others involved in the act are still being tracked.
“We have Yusuf, who applied the new dates, and Emma, the owner of the facility who provided the labels. This is not the first time we are uncovering such activities. Our teams visit supermarkets, distributors, and open markets regularly to ensure Nigerians are not exposed to unsafe products,” he said.
He added that the agency’s Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, had ordered stricter surveillance during the festive period to protect consumers.
The Plateau State Coordinator of NAFDAC, Dr Obida Musa, described the act as dangerous and shameful.
“It’s truly unfortunate to see people risk the lives of others just for money. Such reckless behaviour should be condemned by all well-meaning Nigerians,” Musa said.
He also urged the public to always check product labels carefully and report any suspicious items to NAFDAC.
One of the suspects, Yusuf Hassan, pleaded for mercy, claiming he was unaware that the products were expired.
“I didn’t know the expiry dates had been changed. The drinks were given to me by Mr Emma Nwobi. The original expiry date was 2020, but it was changed to 2027. I was only supplying the drinks to meet customer demand,” he said.
NAFDAC has recently stepped up nationwide operations against unregistered, expired, and fake products. The agency said its recent raids in major drug markets in Lagos, Aba, and Onitsha led to the seizure of products worth over one trillion naira.
