By Adeyemi David
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has sealed no fewer than 18 warehouses in Bida, Niger State, after uncovering large quantities of expired food and beverage products valued at over ₦100 million.
The affected warehouses, located around Ndazabo White House along Minna Road and behind Bida Modern Market, were shut down following a raid by NAFDAC’s Investigation and Enforcement team acting on credible intelligence.
Items recovered during the operation included expired non-alcoholic beverages, dairy milk, candies, bottled water and pasta, some of which had already been packaged for distribution.
According to the agency, about 80,000 packets of expired non-alcoholic drinks, 5,000 packets of dairy milk, 16,000 packets of bottled water, 28 cartons of pasta and other assorted expired products were uncovered during the raid.
Managers of the affected warehouses were arrested for interrogation. Preliminary findings linked the facilities to a company identified as BY Ventures, prompting NAFDAC officials to extend their operation to supermarkets owned by the company in Minna.
During the follow-up operation, additional expired products and counterfeit Goya oil were allegedly discovered at the supermarkets. Both outlets were subsequently sealed.
The Managing Director of the company, Alhaji Yusuf Nadabo, was invited for questioning and reportedly admitted ownership of the expired products during interrogation.
NAFDAC said investigations are ongoing and assured that appropriate regulatory sanctions would be imposed at the conclusion of the process to serve as a deterrent to others engaged in similar practices.
