NAFDAC impounds N2.5m candies, seals 12 shops in Anambra

 NAFDAC has impounded confectionery valued at about N2.5 million at the Ogbaru Relief Market, Onitsha, Anambra State.

NAFDAC operatives who visited the market on Tuesday also closed down 12 shops filled with confectionery consisting mainly milk candies for children.

The Public Relations Officer of the agency, Mr. Anslem Okonkwor, said the impounded confectionery were substandard and not certified and registered by NAFDAC.

He said, “The raid came as a result of complaints made to us that people are bringing into the market confectionery, which NAFDAC had not certified and approved for human consumption.”

A Chief Regulatory Officer of NAFDAC, Mr. Joseph Idowu, who led the raid, said they had a herculean task getting the traders to cooperate.

He said, “We were unable to even arrest one of these unscrupulous traders to serve as deterrent to others due to negative activities of the market leadership here.
“One of them could have called the fake product dealers and ask them to escape. However, four of the traders have been reported to us,” Idowu said.
He said the uncooperative attitude of the confectionery market leaders was unlike the one NAFDAC has been getting from the Bridge-head Drug Market, Onitsha, where the market leaders sanitise the market by themselves.