Agency Report/
The Lagos State Police Command on Wednesday says it has uncovered a factory where assorted fake wine and fruit juice were produced at Aboru area of Oke-Odo, Lagos.
The Commissioner of Police in Lagos, Imohimin Edgal, told newsmen, when he visited the factory that the 48-year-old owner of the factory has been arrested.
A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria, who was on the commissioner of police entourage, observed that various assorted wine, fruit juice and empty bottles were recovered from the uncompleted one-storey building which doubles as factory and owner’s residence.
Edgal said that apart from wine products, several chemicals and reagent used for the manufacturing of the products were also recovered by the police.
He said samples of products recovered from the factory would be sent to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control for laboratory analysis.
Edgal said that the house had been sealed until the end of the investigation.
“This matter is an interesting case because it has to do with the health of Lagosians.
“On December 18, 2018, around 2pm, the command received credible information that there exist a fake wine/ brewery in an uncompleted one-storey building at Aboru area of Oke Odo, Lagos, where assorted wine and alcoholic beverages were being produced.
“Based on the information, I directed the Area Commander, Area P, Alagbado, to mobilise to the scene, search and seal off the factory.
“When the team arrived the scene, they executed a search warrant which enabled them to search and recover the following items: 4000 bottles of already produced, packed and labelled adulterated wine of different brands.
“10000 empty bottles, drums of different sizes and various chemicals and reagents used as raw materials and other tools used in the production of fake wine/ fruit drink,” he said
Edgal said further investigation revealed that the suspect, a secondary school dropout, had neither the requisite qualification nor licence to embark on such type of business.
He said that incidentally, the factory served as both production base and residence for the suspect, his wife and four children.
The suspect, in his defence, said he was still awaiting approval from NAFDAC to commence commercial production of the drinks.
He also denied that the drinks were fake, insisting that he produced them basically with local fruits.
“I am a creative minded person and all l do here is the production of fruit-based drinks. I have not started selling because I am yet to get approval from NAFDAC,” he said.
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