NAFDAC Clamps Down on Illegal Trade, Seizes N300m Banned Sachet Alcohol in Lagos

​The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has intensified its regulatory clampdown on the illicit distribution of restricted substances, intercepting banned alcoholic beverages valued at approximately N300 million across major commercial hubs in Lagos State.

​The aggressive enforcement sweep targeted notorious distribution networks and retail outlets within the Ile-Epo Market, where several operators were apprehended and defaulting shops sealed. Subsequent coordinated raids were swiftly extended to the bustling Ojuwoye Market in Mushin and the historic Oke-Arin Market on Lagos Island, resulting in the evacuation of massive quantities of prohibited stock.

​According to intelligence gathered by the agency, unscrupulous traders had resorted to hoarding the prohibited lines—specifically alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and small polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles of less than 200 millilitres—capitalizing on surging market demand and shifting price margins.

​Reiterating the absolute rigidity of the policy, NAFDAC authorities stressed that the subsisting ban on sub-200ml alcoholic packaging remains fully in force. The agency issued a stern, final warning to manufacturers, major distributors, and roadside retailers to purge their inventories of the outlawed products immediately or face severe statutory sanctions, including immediate prosecution and permanent business closure.

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​”The ban remains in force, and enforcement operations will continue relentlessly across Lagos State and nationwide,” a senior regulatory official noted, warning that commercial operators caught trading in the restricted commodities will face the full weight of the law.

​NAFDAC has consequently charged stakeholders within the supply chain to demonstrate civic compliance by cooperating with enforcement officers, underscoring that public health protection supersedes short-term commercial gains.