Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have raided an illegal factory manufacturing fake and adulterated fruit juice in the Onilegbale area of Alabi Aradagun, Badagry, Lagos State, arresting two female suspects in the process.
The development was made public on Monday through a video shared on CityMood Badagry’s X page, which captured the operatives parading the suspects alongside confiscated equipment and fake products.
According to an unnamed NSCDC officer, the illicit drinks, which were packaged under the brand name Barkas, consisted primarily of water, excessive sugar, dyes, colourants, and additives. While the beverages were actively circulated across Lagos markets, the distribution network also extended to Edo State and various other regions across Nigeria.
The security agency revealed that the two arrested women, aged between 48 and 50, routinely employed underage boys and girls aged 15 to 16 to assist in the manufacturing and packaging process.
“We are parading successfully suspects and exhibits in the illegal production, sale and distribution of adulterated and fake fruit juice, not only in Lagos markets but up to Edo State and other parts of Nigeria,” the operative stated, adding, “They hire the services of juveniles, underage boys and girls, between the ages of 15 and 16.”
Preliminary checks on the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) database indicated that the brand was unregistered, or its previous license had expired.
“A glimpse on the NAFDAC portal to check the validity of these products, what we saw there is that the products cannot be found,” the officer confirmed.
In her statement to the authorities, one of the suspects claimed that her grandmother originally established the business, which operated from a shop she owned in Lagos. She asserted that the drinks had previously been registered before operational hurdles forced the facility to close. She added that production was intermittent rather than daily, with shipments outside Lagos occurring three to four times annually over nearly two decades of operation.
The NSCDC confirmed that a thorough investigation is underway and that the suspects will be prosecuted in a court of competent jurisdiction upon the conclusion of inquiries.