The Anambra State Police Command has dismantled an illegal factory producing counterfeit soft drinks in Okpoko, Ogbaru Local Government Area, following a raid on September 3, 2025. Operatives from the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu, arrested a 48-year-old suspect, Chigozie Okafor, and seized several fake juice drinks branded as “Iyi Obeleagu Juice,” which were being manufactured without approval from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The operation was disclosed in a press statement released on Sunday, September 7, 2025, by the command’s spokesman, Tochukwu Ikenga. He described the products as “highly harmful” to both adults and children due to their unapproved production. “The operatives uncovered and dismantled an illegal factory producing toxic fake soft drinks,” the statement read, emphasizing the public health risks posed by the illicit operation.
Commissioner of Police Ikioye Orutugu has ordered a thorough investigation to apprehend other perpetrators involved in the scheme, warning those engaged in such activities to cease immediately. “The Command will not relent in safeguarding public health,” Ikenga added on behalf of the CP.
This incident follows a pattern of crackdowns on illegal manufacturing in Anambra State. In October 2024, a task force raided a fake wine factory in Nkpor, Onitsha, seizing counterfeit brands like ‘Classic Heaven’ and ‘Hennessy,’ arresting seven workers, and sealing the facility. Similarly, in June 2024, authorities uncovered a factory in Umuoji, Idemili North, producing fake pharmaceuticals, including paracetamol and Flagyl, leading to six arrests and the closure of the premises. The ongoing issue of counterfeit consumables remains a significant public health concern in Nigeria.
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