The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has uncovered an illegal factory producing counterfeit “Goya oil” and dismantled a major syndicate involved in fake alcoholic drinks production in Lagos, warning that these dangerous products pose serious public health risks.
Agency officials also called on Nigerians to be vigilant and cooperate in the fight against substandard consumables.
Addressing journalists at a press briefing in Lagos on Friday, January 23, 2026, Mr. Martins Iluyomade, Director of Investigation and Enforcement at NAFDAC and Chairman of the Federal Task Force on Fake and Substandard Products, said the discoveries resulted from several weeks of targeted surveillance and enforcement operations across the state’s markets and production hubs.
Iluyomade disclosed that operatives uncovered an illegal operation in Oke-Arin Market, where counterfeit Goya oil was being manually produced. Investigators found crude equipment such as stoves, palm oil, chlorine additives and a large number of empty bottles being refilled and repackaged for sale.
He stressed that the genuine Goya oil, legally imported and distributed in Nigeria, is only sold in glass bottles, urging consumers to reject any products packaged in plastic (PET) bottles as these are fake and potentially toxic.
“Let me say this clearly to everybody, churches, prayer houses, and anywhere this oil is used: there is no original Goya oil packed in plastic bottles,” Iluyomade said, noting that the agency has even encountered counterfeit oil in religious settings where it was being used for anointing and other spiritual purposes.
He warned that some people mistakenly drink or ingest fake anointing oils, a practise he said can amount to poison consumption.
NAFDAC’s enforcement actions extended beyond fake oils to include a major counterfeit alcoholic beverage operation in the Badagry area of Lagos State. Officials arrested a suspect, Mr. Moses Nelson, and charged him to court after discovering a range of fake alcohol products and packaging materials at his residence.
The syndicate reportedly manufactured and distributed these products through a network of markets in Lagos, severely endangering consumers.
Iluyomade highlighted that the counterfeiting of alcoholic drinks has become endemic in Nigeria because of the relative ease with which such products can be imitated.
He admonished distributors not to buy from unauthorised suppliers and warned consumers to distrust unusually cheap products, noting, “If the normal price is five naira and someone offers it at three naira, you should be suspicious.”
In urging public cooperation, the agency stressed the importance of reporting suspicious products and sellers to the nearest NAFDAC office.
Iluyomade said the strategy is to halt production at its source, ensuring that fake products do not continue to circulate in the market. He added that NAFDAC’s enforcement focus is not to penalise unsuspecting traders but to stop illegal manufacturers who knowingly endanger public health.
The crackdown is part of broader efforts by NAFDAC to safeguard food and drug standards nationwide. Officials noted that ongoing collaborations with other regulatory bodies and law enforcement agencies aim to strengthen surveillance, enforcement and public awareness to reduce the circulation of unsafe products across Nigerian markets.
Meta description: NAFDAC uncovers an illegal fake Goya oil factory and busts a major counterfeit alcohol syndicate in Lagos, urging consumers and religious groups to avoid unregulated products and report suspicious activities.
