The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced the shutdown of Aba Cemetery Market in Abia State for selling counterfeit bottles of wines and beverages.

Agency Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday, January 28, 2025.

Adeyeye indicated that the cemetery market is notorious as the largest cartel for producing fake wines and beverages in Africa.

This marks the second time the shutdown has been announced by Adeyeye, with NAFDAC’s goal being to stop the circulation of fake and substandard bottles of wine and beverages in Nigeria.

“The NAFDAC boss said that the operation was carried out in conjunction with the military, Department of State Security (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).”

She explained that some of the nefarious activities of the counterfeiters included the manufacturing of all kinds of adulterated products, especially bottles of wine of different brands.

On the list of some of the wines include, Seaman Schnapps, Henessy, Carlo Rossi, Jenney, Chelsea London Dry Gin, Schnapp Dry Gin, McDowells, and Black labels.

Others are Gordons, Martell, Campari, Smirnoff Ice, Eva Non-Alcoholic Drink, Evra Non-Alcoholic Drink, Cartel and others.

The NAFDAC boss revealed that the agency has since raided over 240 shops which turned factories where harmful products were being produced and marketed.

Adeyeye said; “The shops turned factories are very filthy, using water from very unhygienic sources, harmful chemicals, saccharin, colouring, dirty recycled bottles and cloned packaging materials of other brands.
The adulteration of alcoholic beverages by criminal elements in the country is done by mixing cheaper sources of sugar and starch, besides grapes or fruit, and other harmful chemicals unsuitable for human consumption.

Over 1,500 cartons of fake and substandard products were destroyed during the operation.

The street value of the confiscated and destroyed fake products in 2023 is estimated at over ₦750,000,000.

The estimated value of products mopped up during the December 15, 2024, operation is ₦5 billion.

The products being revalidated and mopped up include: Soft and carbonated drinks such as Fanta, Coca-Cola, Schweppes, Lacasera, Sprite, Hollandia Yoghurt, Super Commando Energy Drink, Feyrouz and Amstel Malta.

Aside from drinks, there are fake home beverages such as: Peak Sachet Milk, Cowbell Sachet Milk, Peak Chocolate Drink, Miksi Sachet Milk, Cadbury Chocolate Drink and Ovaltine”.