The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has sealed three alcohol manufacturing companies in Ogun State over alleged violations of the Federal Government’s ban on the production of alcoholic beverages in sachets and small PET bottles.
The agency stated that the affected companies were shut during an enforcement operation after officials allegedly uncovered continued production of prohibited alcoholic products and other acts of regulatory non-compliance despite existing enforcement measures.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, NAFDAC disclosed that the sting operation on the establishments in Otta area of the state, was led by the Assistant Director of its Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, Kunke Ojo, as part of the agency’s ongoing nationwide crackdown on manufacturers flouting the ban.
According to the agency, inspectors uncovered multiple violations across the three facilities during the exercise, after which they were immediately placed on hold pending further regulatory action.
However, a follow-up inspection allegedly revealed that the sachet alcohol previously secured by officials had been secretly removed from the premises without authorisation.
According to agency, the removal of products already under regulatory enforcement constitutes a serious violation, adding that the incident amounted to an attempt to evade lawful regulatory measures.
At the second factory, the agency said its enforcement team caught the company allegedly continuing the production of sachet alcoholic beverages despite the Federal Government’s prohibition on such products.
NAFDAC said the third company had previously come under regulatory action during an inspection conducted in January.
During that operation, officials placed 22 production machines on hold and confiscated millions of PET bottles and sachet packaging materials slated for destruction.
The agency, however, alleged that a fresh inspection showed the company had broken official seals placed on the production equipment, restarted the machines and resumed the manufacture of prohibited sachet alcoholic drinks.
Officials also discovered millions of additional PET bottles at the facility, prompting the immediate sealing of the factory to halt further production.
Reaffirming its commitment to enforcing the ban, NAFDAC stressed that it maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards manufacturers that attempt to circumvent regulatory directives or tamper with enforcement actions.
“This enforcement exercise is part of our strict commitment to ensuring full compliance with the nationwide ban and protecting public health by removing prohibited alcoholic products from the market,” the agency said.
It also urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report the illegal production or sale of banned sachet alcoholic beverages to the nearest NAFDAC office, assuring that reports would aid ongoing efforts to enforce compliance and safeguard public health.