The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has uncovered suspected counterfeit Parago candies concealed inside a warehouse reportedly used for storing rice.
The discovery was captured in a video shared on Thursday, showing NAFDAC officials inspecting the facility and uncovering the suspected fake products hidden under a tarpaulin and inside cartons bearing different product names.
According to the officials, some of the candies were concealed in cartons labelled ‘Toy with Candy’, despite containing products identified as Parago.
In the video, an official expressed surprise at the discovery, saying: “Imagine what we are discovering here in another carton. This same Parago being concealed in a different carton.”
Pointing to one of the cartons, the official added: “Now see the carton name that we have here. Toy with Candy. Whereas the product inside is Parago.”
Suspected fake Parago candies concealed under tarpaulin
The NAFDAC officials also discovered a large quantity of the suspected counterfeit candies concealed beneath a tarpaulin.
Describing the discovery, one of the officials said: “This entire tarpaulin is filled with the products. It has been concealed and it is fully Parago that is in here.”
The inspection further revealed what the official described as the original Parago carton hidden inside a store reportedly used for keeping rice.
“This is the original carton of the Parago that was concealed in a store that has rice. This is supposed to be a rice warehouse but here they concealed Parago,” the official said.
The discovery suggests that the suspected counterfeit products were being concealed through different packaging arrangements and storage methods.
NAFDAC yet to disclose quantity recovered
As of the time of filing this report, NAFDAC had not disclosed the exact quantity of the suspected counterfeit candies recovered or the location of the warehouse.
The agency had also not provided details about the operators of the facility or confirmed whether any arrests had been made.
The discovery comes amid ongoing concerns about the circulation of counterfeit and substandard products in Nigeria, highlighting the importance of regulatory surveillance and consumer protection.
