Clamping Down on Fake Producers at Yuletide in Lagos

Rebecca Ejifoma

After over 10 years of successfully dribbling the arms of the law for adulterating Kiwi liquid dye, officials of Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) alongside armed policemen combed Idumota and seized about 26 cartons of fake products alongside some unstacked ones.

Their secret stores were uncovered following its raid from Dosumu Street. “We were able to track down the suspects after voluntary information from some patriotic Nigerians. Complaints from the real producer also served as useful tips,” the Coordinator of SON, Lagos Office One, Mr. Ugbaja Joseph.

This raiding, according to SON, was made possible after years of tracing the fake producer in Dosumu Street in Lagos market (Balogun) amid a stampede of buyers and sellers to the Family Support Programme, Model Market (Oja Oba), Adeniyi, Lagos – an almost deserted place – where the mini company producing fake product is located.
Two stores were dedicated for the production of the kiwi dye. There were empty small size bottles and lid heaped in sack bags to be recycled and filled. Big basins and product labels were splattered on the floor.

While the cartons used for packaging the products had kilometre 22, Badagry Expressway, Lagos, as the company’s address, the real address is an isolated building sited on Model Market (Oja Oba), Adeniyi.

This was accomplished after the organisation apprehended two suspects involved in the sale of the products.
The coordinator added: “SON won’t look back in ensuring that the market is free of unwholesome products.”
With its core mandate to set standards to meet the quality requirements of their standard, SON assured Nigerians that the war against adulterated products is a gradual process.

According to him, with Nigeria’s current dwindling economy, people want to cut corners. “That is one of the reasons they engage in such acts. Sometimes, too, they want to maximise profit at the detriment of people’s health.
“Hence, it is our duty to ensure that such is not allowed in order to protect genuine manufacturers from counterfeiters so that they will continue to be in business.”

Ugbaja, however, decried that there were numerous challenges in clapping down perpetrators. He said Nigerians are not good at complaining to the appropriate authorities. “They take whatever they see. But if you buy a product and you are shortchanged – you are supposed to complain to SON.”