The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has uncovered a suspected counterfeit drinks facility in Lagos and arrested two men. Operatives raided the site on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at Zamfara Plaza in the BBA Trade Fair Complex. The agency says the suspects were revalidating expired energy drinks, wines and whiskies for resale.
NAFDAC announced the discovery in a post on X and shared a video from the scene. “Two suspects were arrested at the scene,” the agency said. Meanwhile, several news outlets identified the men as Chibuzor Okafor and William John. NAFDAC has not charged them yet, so the allegations remain unproven.
The raid took place in a two-storey building along the Badagry Expressway in Ojo. According to NAFDAC’s Assistant Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Kunle Ojo, the operation followed intelligence gathering and surveillance of suspected counterfeiters in the Trade Fair International Market. Operatives then moved in and caught the suspects at work.
The video shows what the team found inside. Stacks of Bullet energy drink cans fill a storage area, and bottles, caps, corks, labels and packaging materials litter the floor. Officers also recovered drums, filters, a heating device and other tools. In addition, one operative in the footage pointed to the energy drink and described what the suspects were doing. “They are revalidating it here, removing the expired labels,” he said.
NAFDAC alleges that the suspects used chemicals to strip expiry dates from drinks that were no longer fit for sale. Furthermore, the agency says the men sourced those drinks from bars and nightclubs. They allegedly worked with bartenders, who sold them the expired stock. The suspects then resold the repackaged products to bar managers and club operators, according to operatives at the scene.
One of the suspects offered a different account. Okafor told reporters that he sells drinks in the market and only changes the bottles. He said the drinks inside were fine and the old bottles were damaged. However, NAFDAC rejects that defence in general terms. The agency says repacking drinks under well-known brand labels without quality checks is dangerous.
Ojo warned that fake and expired drinks put lives at risk. Consumers cannot tell a revalidated product from a genuine one by looking at it, so the health danger falls on unsuspecting buyers. Moreover, he said the agency is stepping up checks ahead of the festive season, when demand for drinks rises sharply.
NAFDAC has already sealed the facility. Operatives moved the recovered drums and packaging items to the agency’s warehouse, where officers will destroy them. Ojo added that the suspects will face administrative action and prosecution under the law. In the meantime, the agency plans to trace the sources of the products and raw materials. It also wants to identify the financiers behind the operation.
The raid comes amid other enforcement work in Lagos. Earlier, the agency seized alcoholic beverages worth an estimated N300 million that came in sachets and in PET bottles below 200ml. Operatives arrested some distributors and retailers in the markets they raided. Still, Nigerians keep calling on NAFDAC to strengthen its surveillance and oversight so that counterfeit and substandard products stay off the shelves.
Finally, Ojo urged the public to report suspected counterfeit production and distribution directly to NAFDAC instead of posting claims on social media. He also promised to protect the identity of anyone who provides information. Consequently, the agency expects tips from traders and consumers to help it dismantle the wider network behind the fake drinks trade.
NAFDAC today Uncovers Suspected Counterfeit Production Facility in Lagos, Arrests Two Suspects
NAFDAC has uncovered a suspected counterfeit production facility at Zamfara Plaza, BBA Trade Fair Complex, Lagos State.
Two suspects were arrested at the scene while allegedly revalidating energy drinks and popular wine, bullet drink and whisky brands
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