NAFDAC Busts ₦2bn Fake Drinks Empire Hidden in Lagos Trade Fair Complex

In a dramatic dawn raid that has sent shockwaves through Lagos’s sprawling Trade Fair Complex, operatives of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) have dismantled a sophisticated, multi-store counterfeit alcohol and energy drink syndicate operating in plain sight within makeshift parking stores and a two-storey building at Zamfara Plaza, BBA Trade Fair Complex, along the Badagry Expressway in Ojo.

Acting on solid intelligence and prolonged surveillance, officers from NAFDAC’s Investigation and Enforcement Directorate stormed the premises on Tuesday and caught suspects red-handed blending, relabeling and revalidating expired and unsafe beverages for resale. More than 20 illegal stores were discovered engaged in the criminal enterprise.

Two suspects, identified as Chibuzor Okafor and William John, were arrested on the spot while others reportedly fled.

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What investigators found was described by officials as “mind-boggling.” Makeshift production lines featuring drums, filters, heating devices, imported bottle caps, corks, packaging materials and stacks of empty premium bottles were being used to counterfeit popular brands.

Among the products linked to the operation were Bullet energy drinks, Don Julio tequila, Jameson whisky and other premium spirits and wines. Expired drinks were being given new lease of life with falsified labels and dates, while banned imported products were stockpiled for distribution. The entire haul of counterfeit and adulterated goods, together with production equipment, has been valued at over ₦2 billion and evacuated for destruction.

Assistant Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Kunle Ojo, who led the operation, did not mince words: “When we came, we caught some red-handed people producing all kinds of alcoholic drinks. What we have discovered today is a lot, and it’s mind-boggling.

We are here to protect the lives of many Nigerians.” He warned that those behind the racket were “killing Nigerians in order to make money,” especially as the festive season approaches when demand for alcoholic and energy drinks surges.

NAFDAC officials noted that the syndicate had relocated after previous enforcement actions in the same complex, underscoring the persistent challenge posed by the vast Trade Fair market, long identified as a hub for unregistered, expired and counterfeit regulated products. The arrested suspects will face full investigation to unravel supply chains, raw material sources and financiers before prosecution.

The agency has again urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious manufacturing, revalidation or sales activity immediately through its official complaints line: 0800-1-NAFDAC (0800-1-623322). “If you see something, say something,” NAFDAC stressed, reiterating its zero-tolerance stance against those who endanger public health for profit.

This latest crackdown forms part of intensified nationwide operations aimed at ridding Nigerian markets of fake, expired and hazardous products before the end-of-year celebrations.