The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control ([NAFDAC](https://www.nafdac.gov.ng)) busted a suspected counterfeit beverage production site at Zamfara Plaza in the BBA Trade Fair Complex along the [Badagry Expressway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badagry_Expressway), Ojo, [Lagos State](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagos_State), arresting two men and seizing equipment used to make fake alcoholic and energy drinks.
**What was discovered during the operation?**
- Two suspects, identified as Okafor and John, were taken into custody inside a two‑storey building where drums, filters, packaging material, a heating device and other tools were found.
- NAFDAC officials said the raid was based on credible intelligence and surveillance of counterfeiters operating within the Trade Fair International Market.
- Assistant Director of the Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, Mr Kunle Ojo, announced that the agency had caught the offenders “red‑handed” producing various alcoholic drinks.
- The seized items will be moved to NAFDAC’s warehouse for destruction in line with established procedures.
**Why did NAFDAC intervene now?**
Ojo explained that the agency intensified inspections ahead of the festive season, when demand for alcoholic and other beverages spikes, warning that counterfeit drinks pose a serious public‑health danger. He urged anyone involved in the illegal trade to stop, stating, “You are killing Nigerians in order to make money, which is not good.”
**What are the next steps for the arrested individuals?**
The officials said the two men will face administrative action and possible prosecution under the law. NAFDAC also pledged to trace the source of the raw materials, identify financiers, and investigate how the products entered the market.
**How can the public assist?**
Both the Assistant Director of Public Relations, Mrs Christiana Obiazikwor, and the Head of Public Relations for Investigation & Enforcement, Mrs Victoria Jennifer Akudu, appealed to Nigerians to report suspected counterfeit production sites directly to NAFDAC rather than spreading rumors on social media. They assured that informants’ identities would be protected.
**What did one of the suspects say?**
Okafor, who described himself as a drinks dealer, told Vanguard at the scene, “I deal on drinks. I change the bottle of the drink. It’s not that the bottle is not good. It’s the drink in there, because the other one is already damaged. So that’s why we are putting it to the next bottle.”
NAFDAC reiterated that its enforcement teams regularly conduct covert operations to seize unregistered and counterfeit products, emphasizing that such activities are essential to safeguard consumers from health risks associated with repackaged drinks sold under false brand labels.