Agency seals facilities in Ota for allegedly violating Federal Government’s ban on sachet and PET bottle alcoholic beverages.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has shut down three alcohol manufacturing companies in Ota, Ogun State, for allegedly violating the Federal Government’s ban on the production of alcoholic beverages in sachets and PET bottles.
In a statement, the agency disclosed that the enforcement operation was led by the Assistant Director of its Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, Kunle Ojo.
NAFDAC said its officials uncovered multiple regulatory violations during inspections of the affected factories.
According to the agency, officials inspected the first facility last Friday and discovered sachet alcohol in active production alongside large quantities of PET bottles. Although the factory was initially placed on hold, a follow-up inspection revealed that the sachet alcoholic products had been secretly removed from the premises.
“NAFDAC has flagged this as a serious violation, as the products were already under regulatory enforcement,” the agency stated.
At the second company, whose name was withheld, NAFDAC said its enforcement team caught the firm allegedly continuing the production of sachet alcoholic beverages despite the federal ban, prompting the immediate sealing of the premises.
The agency disclosed that it had earlier inspected the third company in January and placed 22 production machines on hold, while millions of PET bottles and sachet packaging materials were confiscated for destruction. However, during the latest inspection, officials discovered that the company had allegedly broken the regulatory seals and resumed production of sachet alcoholic drinks.
NAFDAC said millions of additional PET bottles were found at the facility, leading to its immediate closure.
Reiterating its zero-tolerance stance on regulatory violations, the agency said the operation forms part of its commitment to ensuring full compliance with the nationwide ban and protecting public health.
“This enforcement exercise is part of our strict commitment to ensuring full compliance with the nationwide ban and protecting public health by removing prohibited alcoholic products from the market,” the statement read.
NAFDAC also urged consumers to remain vigilant and report the illegal sale or production of banned sachet alcoholic beverages to the nearest NAFDAC office.