The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control on Tuesday sealed four local rice milling companies in the Autabalefi area, Masaka main market and motor park, all in Nasarawa.

The agency also seized empty branded bags of rice belonging to companies such as Royal Stallion, Tomato, Big Bull, and BUA Rice, among others.

Other items seized by the agency include sealing machines, sewing thread, packing bowl, and two 50kg bags of rice.

NAFDAC also put the Nigerian Brewery’s Masaka depot on hold for poor storage of drinks. The agency stated that the large quantity of drinks arranged outside the brewery building, under the sun, was not hygienic for consumption.

Benedicta Obaseki, NAFDAC’s deputy director at its Greater FCT Office in Mararaba, stated that the agency conducted the raid as a result of findings from concerned Nigerians.

“The raid became necessary to avoid the circulation of substandard rice into the market as the Muslim faithful celebrate the Eid-el-Kabir. NAFDAC’s commitment to ensuring the safety and quality of food products in our markets, especially at this time as we are approaching the Sallah.

“We all know that people use this opportunity to manufacture and sell all manner of fake things in the name of making money. And so because of that, we needed to be proactive to ensure that we do the needful,” said Ms Obaseki.

She added, “On behalf of the director-general of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, we decided to take decisive action against the manufacturers of those rice products because they do not comply with our regulatory standards.

“As such, these products have been put on hold and will be destroyed appropriately. As we approach the Sallah, we want to ensure that Nigerians have access to safe and quality food in the markets. Fake rice poses a great danger to health, and we do not want to tolerate that.”

She explained that NAFDAC would continue to raid markets to mop up rice and other substandard products and would also apply sanctions on any products that do not comply with standards.

Ms Obaseki urged Nigerians to be vigilant and ensure they buy rice from reputable sources, stressing that the agency had recently discovered some sharp practices.

She also called on Nigerians to always check the NAFDAC registration number of any product they buy in the market, adding that the safety of Nigerians is the agency’s priority.

Purity Obadiah, the manager of one of the affected companies, said, “Last December, customers brought new branded bags for us to package, but we didn’t do it. The owner of this company has warned us not to accept that. So that is what we do. We don’t accept branded bags.”

Maris Kano, whose company was also sealed, denied any wrongdoing.

“The bags that I used in repackaging my rice were bought from the market and not branded ones that belong to other companies,” she said.

(NAN)