Police shut down fake soft drinks factory in Anambra, arrest suspect

The Anambra State Police Command has shut down an illegal soft drinks factory in Okpoko, Ogbaru Local Government Area, where harmful products were being manufactured without approval from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.

According to a statement released on Sunday by the Command’s spokesperson, Tochukwu Ikenga, operatives attached to the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu, stormed the factory on September 3 and dismantled the illicit production site. A 48-year-old man, identified as Chigozie Okafor, was arrested in connection with the activities.

Ikenga explained that several cartons of fake juice branded as “Iyi Obeleagu Juice” were recovered from the premises. He noted that the products were unfit for human consumption and posed serious health risks to both adults and children.

“The operatives uncovered and dismantled an illegal factory producing toxic fake soft drinks in Okpoko. The products are considered highly harmful to the health of both adults and children,” Ikenga stated.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Ikioye Orutugu, has ordered further investigations to trace other perpetrators behind the illegal operation. He also warned that the police will not relent in safeguarding public health.

Cases of fake consumables have been recurring in Anambra and other parts of Nigeria. In October 2024, a task force shut down an illegal wine factory in Nkpor, Onitsha, while in June 2024, another fake pharmaceuticals site was discovered in Idemili North.