The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has closed three significant raw food storage facilities in Ado-Ekiti, the capital of Ekiti State, due to unlawful rice re-bagging activities.
Mrs. Stella Dosumu, the NAFDAC coordinator for Ekiti State, disclosed that the closures were a result of violations aimed at deceiving unsuspecting consumers.
This action aligns with the agency’s Director General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye’s, commitment to targeting those she referred to as ‘merchants of death’ who engage in illicit trade of regulated goods. In line with the NAFDAC DG’s ongoing efforts to eliminate fake, counterfeit, and substandard products, three major food warehouses in Ado-Ekiti were shut down on Wednesday, March 11, 2025, for serious breaches of agency regulations,” Dosumu stated.
“The operation followed a tip from a concerned citizen regarding illegal rice re-bagging in these warehouses, prompting the state coordinator and her team to conduct surveillance of the implicated locations,” she explained.
Dosumu confirmed that the team verified the whistleblower’s information during their inspection.
“The findings revealed numerous bales of empty bags from well-known local and international rice brands within the warehouses. Additionally, pre-packaged rice of various brands, along with sewing and sealing equipment, were discovered,” she reported. She further noted that warehouse managers declined to reveal the origin of the re-bagged rice, making it impossible to determine its quality.
“This practice poses a serious risk to consumer health and involves deceptive labeling,” Dosumu warned.
“Currently, the empty bags of various brands found in the warehouses have been seized, samples of the re-bagged rice have been collected for laboratory analysis, and the warehouses have been sealed pending the lab results, which will determine further regulatory actions,” she added. The public is assured that NAFDAC remains committed to its mission of protecting citizen health by ensuring the safety of both drugs and food in Nigeria,” she concluded.”
