By Quazeem Halimot Bukola
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has confiscated alcoholic beverages estimated at N300 million during a series of enforcement operations across major markets in Lagos State.
The agency said the exercise was targeted at alcoholic products packaged in sachets and PET bottles below the approved 200-millilitre minimum volume, which remain prohibited under the Federal Government’s directive.
NAFDAC disclosed the development in a statement shared on its official social media platform, adding that several distributors and retailers were arrested during the enforcement operations.
The raids covered Ile-Epo Market, Ojuwoye Market in Mushin and Oke-Arin Market on Lagos Island, where enforcement officials removed large quantities of the prohibited alcoholic beverages from circulation.
According to the agency, its officers evacuated several cartons of sachet alcoholic drinks and beverages packaged in PET bottles below 200ml from shops and distribution points across the affected markets.
NAFDAC said preliminary investigations suggested that some traders had been deliberately stockpiling the banned products as demand increased and prices rose.
The regulator warned manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, transporters and other participants in the supply chain against continuing to produce, move, store or sell the prohibited beverages.
The Lagos operation forms part of a broader nationwide enforcement and mop-up exercise being conducted by NAFDAC across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
The agency said enforcement teams have been deployed to markets, motor parks, bars, retail outlets and other distribution channels to locate, seize and remove banned alcoholic products from circulation.
NAFDAC further disclosed that some manufacturing facilities found to have violated the government’s directive had already been shut down as part of the ongoing crackdown.
The restriction on sachet alcohol and alcoholic beverages packaged in PET bottles below 200ml was introduced amid concerns over underage drinking, substance abuse and the easy availability of alcoholic products.
The agency has urged businesses and individuals still holding stocks of the affected products to voluntarily surrender them to avoid regulatory action.
It warned that anyone found producing, importing, transporting, warehousing, distributing or selling the prohibited drinks could face seizure of products, regulatory sanctions and possible prosecution.
NAFDAC said the latest operation demonstrates its continued commitment to enforcing the ban and preventing prohibited alcoholic beverages from returning to the Nigerian market.
