National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has sealed Lagos–based confectioneries and multinational food outlet, Chocolat Royal for “unethical practices” and non-adherent to Good Manufacturing and Hygienic Practices.
Chocolat Royal, a subsidiary of AIM Group is owned by Lebanase business mogul, Amin Moussalli. The group also owns broadcast stations; Cool Fm, Nigerian Info Fm, Wazobia Fm, Cool TV, Wee TV and Wazobia TV.
NAFDAC claimed that it sealed Chocolate Royale following complaints of violation and affront of the company to NAFDAC regulations.
Director, Investigation and Enforcement of NAFDAC, Mr. Kingsley Ejiofor, while announcing the closure of the facilities located at Plot 267A Etim Inyang Crescent and the Managing Director’s residence at No 1, Karimu Kotun Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, where illegal cold rooms were operated, disclosed that six officials of the company were equally arrested for interrogation for willfully obstructing the NAFDAC operatives in the course of their duties during the exercise which lasted more than nine hours.
“The suspect will be interrogated, while the products will be sampled and taken to the laboratory for analysis, where the labels and contents will be properly analysed. And at the end of the day when the results are out, that will determine the next of action,” Ejiofor said. He also confirmed that expired products evacuated from both premises in six vans, were worth N1 billion.
“They will be investigated by the Federal Taskforce and NAFDAC. At the end of the investigations, files submitted will be reviewed and after evaluation, we will send them to the legal division which will advice on what next to do and if we have enough facts, then will proceed on prosecution,” Ejiofor who is also the Chairman of Federal Taskforce on Fake and Counterfeit Drugs, Unwholesome Processed Foods and other regulated products, said.
NAFDAC’s Director-General, Dr. Paul Orhii had since inspected the seized products at the Agency’s Enforcement office at Apapa. He assured Nigerians that the case would be thoroughly investigated to ascertain the level of violations to aid prosecution.
According to him, apart from the products being expired, they were not registered by NAFDAC therefore should not have come into the country in the first place.
He commended Nigerians for their support for NAFDAC and urged them to help to provide more information that will assist them unravel the activities of “merchants of death” promising a good reward for those who could offer information.
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