The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has arrested one Anthony Chidi at Mile 3 Market, Diobu, Port Harcourt, for producing fake alcoholic beverages in highly unsanitary conditions.
This was made known in a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday.
According to the agency Chidi was caught inside a filthy shop, where he was washing used bottles of various alcoholic brands and refilling them with unwholesome drinks for resale.
During the raid, NAFDAC officials discovered dirty empty bottles, ethanol, bottle caps, and packaging materials, all used in the illegal operation.
Upon interrogation, Chidi admitted to running the illicit business for about a year.
The statement said, “NAFDAC has apprehended Anthony Chidi at Mile 3 Market, Diobu, Port Harcourt, for producing counterfeit alcoholic beverages in unsanitary conditions.
“He was caught inside a filthy shop washing used bottles of various alcoholic brands, which he refilled with unwholesome drinks for resale.
“During the raid, officials discovered dirty empty bottles, ethanol, bottle caps, and packaging materials.
“Chidi admitted to running the illicit operation for about a year, sourcing labels from Aba and purchasing used bottles.
“NAFDAC evacuated the shop, confiscating all items found on site for further investigation.”
Similarly, the on Wednesday revealed that its operatives recovered two rifles, live cartilages, a machete, and other weapons hidden by unknown persons at the drug market, Niger Bridgehead, Onitsha in Anambra State, amidst the on-going clampdown on fake and counterfeit drugs.
The agency, it would be recalled, has been at drug sections of the Onitsha Bridgehead drug market since February 10, 2025, as part of an ongoing nationwide campaign to strengthen public health by ensuring that fake and counterfeit drugs being peddled by cartels were eradicated from the markets.
Director-General of NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, who disclosed this while addressing journalists at the market, expressed surprise over the discovery which she viewed as an assassination attempt on the agency’s Director in the Southeast zone, Dr. Martins Iluyomade who normally conduct debriefing at that particular spot on daily basis.
Adeyeye, who was represented by Iluyomade, added that their security team equally foiled two attempts made by some hoodlums to gain entrance into the stores where they parked seized drugs at Onitsha as well as arrested two suspects in connection with this development.
She, however, assured the public that the exercise would not be brought to an end abruptly because according to her, it was not targeted at any person or group but a national assignment for the general good of the populace.
“With prompt interventions of our security, we saw and recovered a dagger, machetes, two guns, and riffles. All other nights, we have arrested people who try to break in and do one thing or another in this market. They are in custody and volunteering useful information,” she added.
She, however, commended the leadership of the markets for working with them throughout the operations, even as she assured that some sections of the market would be reopened this week while they begin the next aspect of the exercise.
According to her, not less than 50 trailer load of counterfeit and substandard drugs discovered in the market have been moved to a safer place for further action.
