Police,Content Creator Clash Over NAFDAC Number on Zobo Drinks in Delta

A tense roadside confrontation between police officers and a man in Delta State over bottled zobo drinks has gone viral, sparking heated debate about the limits of police power, the regulation of local beverages, and the struggles of small-scale traders.

In the video circulating widely since Wednesday, officers were seen questioning a woman selling sealed bottles of the popular hibiscus-based drink. One officer, whose name tag read Monjok Denis, held up a bottle and insisted the product must carry a National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) registration number.

“This thing is supposed to have a NAFDAC number. Does this thing have a NAFDAC number? As a police officer, don’t I have the right to ask?” the officer declared.

A man who identified himself as a content creator stepped in, recording the encounter and challenging the officers. Speaking in pidgin, he questioned their focus and the length of the stop.

“I be content creator, I go put am for social media. This na ordinary zobo. Una no dey do your work? Ordinary zobo. Over four hours, for what now?” he said.

The exchange grew heated as the man pressed the officers on whether checking product registration fell within their primary duties. Some reports indicated the officers ordered the woman to drop her cooler of drinks during the interrogation.

The clip has drawn mixed reactions online. Critics accused the officers of harassment and misplaced priorities, arguing that NAFDAC, not the police, is the proper agency to enforce food and beverage regulations. Others defended the action, citing the prevalence of unregistered or potentially unsafe packaged foods and drinks in the market and the need for any form of oversight to protect consumers.

NAFDAC has since clarified its position. Spokesperson Christiana Obiazikwor explained that the agency does not regulate zobo sold in ordinary, unsealed containers without labels.

However, once the drink is packaged, sealed and labelled for commercial sale, it falls under NAFDAC regulation and requires registration.

“If you produce zobo without packaging it – putting a label, without sealing it. It is not under NAFDAC’s purview to regulate it. But when you now package, seal, and put a label, then it becomes under NAFDAC regulation,” she said.

She confirmed that labelled and packaged products of this nature are expected to carry a NAFDAC number.

Zobo, made from dried hibiscus flowers and often flavoured with ginger, pineapple or other spices, is a staple street drink across Nigeria.

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Many small producers bottle and label it for sale in markets, traffic and neighbourhoods. NAFDAC includes such beverages from local agricultural products in its micro, small and medium-scale enterprise registration framework, though the process can be challenging for low-capital traders.

The viral incident has revived broader questions about inter-agency coordination. While the police sometimes support regulatory bodies during enforcement operations, routine checks of this nature are typically handled by NAFDAC officials. Similar debates have arisen in the past over the sale of unregistered packaged foods, sachet alcohol and other consumables.

As of Thursday morning, the Delta State Police Command had not issued a public statement on the confrontation. The video continues to circulate, keeping the discussion alive about where enforcement ends and overreach begins for ordinary Nigerians trying to earn a living from everyday products.