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The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has uncovered and dismantled two illegal production outlets involved in the counterfeiting and adulteration of alcoholic beverages in Lagos State, seizing products valued at about ₦350 million.
In a statement shared on its X page on Wednesday, the agency said the operation followed credible intelligence, leading to raids at Zamfara Plaza, Trade Fair Complex, and Lagos Island.
NAFDAC said enforcement operatives recovered “over 1,800 cartons of counterfeit and adulterated alcoholic products valued at approximately ₦350 million” during the operation.
At the Trade Fair Complex, the agency said officers discovered makeshift production facilities equipped with “plastic mixing tanks, improvised filtration systems, empty branded bottles, corks, and packaging materials used to produce and package fake alcoholic drinks.”
It added that a similar operation on Lagos Island led to the arrest of a suspect linked to the illegal production and distribution of counterfeit beverages through a retail outlet, noting that all recovered items were seized and evacuated for further regulatory action.
The agency warned that “the consumption of adulterated alcoholic beverages poses serious health risks, including poisoning, organ damage, and death,” reiterating its commitment to prosecuting offenders.
NAFDAC also urged members of the public to “purchase products only from authorised outlets, and report suspicious activities to the nearest NAFDAC office or via its toll-free line 0800-1-NAFDAC.”
The development comes amid growing concerns over the illicit alcohol trade in Nigeria.
The Spirits and Wines Association of Nigeria had earlier warned that the scale of illicit trade poses serious risks to public health, government revenue, and legitimate businesses.
At a recent workshop in Abuja themed ‘Combating Illicit Trade in the Spirits and Wines Industry’, stakeholders called for sustained collaboration, improved regulation, and increased public awareness to tackle the challenge.
Illicit alcohol trade has remained a recurring issue in Nigeria’s beverage sector, with counterfeit and smuggled products continuing to circulate in the market, raising concerns over consumer safety and economic losses.
