TheCable

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says its operatives have apprehended distributors of an unregistered and expired G-Man organic energy drink.

Speaking on Thursday during a media briefing, Mojisola Adeyeye, NAFDAC director-general, said two of the merchants are still on the run.

Adeyeye said the drink had expired in 2020 and 2022, adding that the motive of the distributors was to revalidate it for consumption.

“A case of importation, distribution and sale of unregistered and expired G-Man organic energy drink was investigated by NAFDAC’s investigation and enforcement directorate in Asaba, Delta state,” NAN quoted the NAFDAC DG as saying.

“One Okeke Udeze Francis of No 28 Otigba Crescent, G.R.A. Onitsha, Anambra state, was arrested with an expired Ge-Man organic energy drink.

The suspects

“Further investigation led to a warehouse in Aba, Abia state, where evidence of revalidation of the expiry date of the drink was established. The expiry dates on the products when imported were 18/12/2020 and 18/12/2022.”

Adeyeye said the violative products were sent to Nigeria by one Paschal Emeka Udo, who is said to be based in the United Kingdom.

“The case was subsequently transferred to the office of the director, investigation and enforcement directorate in Lagos where Mr Okeke admitted to dealing in the product,” she said.

“He stated that he got the product from one Mr Uchenna Nwachi through one Mr Collins in Aba. Following this revelation, the investigation was intensified to get the other suspects arrested.

“Further investigation revealed that the violative Ge-Man energy drink was manufactured in Germany and was imported into Nigeria when some of the products were already expired, and some were close to expiration and later expired after importation.

“Two of the suspects, including the importer of the products, are still at large and efforts are still on to arrest them while the suspects in custody will be charged to court.”

The director-general also said one Emmanuel Obidike, managing director of TOMATcH Investment Limited in Onitsha, was arrested for counterfeit medicines, while a warehouse in Abuja was sealed for revalidation of expired animal premix.

She said some of the medicine counterfeited by Obidike include Combiart 20mg/120mg tablets, Combiart tabs secondary packaging materials, Augmentin tabs, and Coartem tabs 20mg/120mg.