Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps have uncovered an alleged illegal factory producing adulterated and unregistered fruit juice in the Onilegbale area of Alabi Aradagun, Badagry, Lagos State.
Two women, aged between 48 and 50, were arrested during the operation, while several products and materials were recovered from the facility.
An NSCDC operative said the products, reportedly branded as Barkas, were being sold in Lagos and distributed to Edo State and other parts of the country.
The official also alleged that the suspects employed teenagers between the ages of 15 and 16 to assist with the production and packaging of the drinks.
According to the NSCDC, the products were found in containers at the facility and were reportedly made mainly from sugar, water, additives, dyes and colourants.
The operative added that a search of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control database did not produce records for the products, suggesting that they were either unregistered or had an expired registration.
One of the arrested women claimed the factory was originally established by her grandmother and had previously been registered. She said it was later shut down following unspecified challenges.
She added that the factory had operated for nearly 20 years but did not produce every day, claiming that supplies were sent outside Lagos about three or four times annually.
The NSCDC said further investigations were ongoing and that the suspects would be prosecuted before a court with appropriate jurisdiction.
