Nigeria: Fake Insecticide - NAFDAC Wants Importer Transferred

The Kano State office of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has written police authorities in the state, demanding the transfer to the agency of an Indian National who was arrested recently by the police in connection with the importation of clone RAMBO insecticide.

The agency, forwarded its demand to the office of the Assistant Inspector General of Police Zone 1, Kano requesting that the Indian, Vijay Lawalni and the case file be moved to NAFDAC office at the Federal Secretariat in Kano. The zonal police headquarters had early this week taken over the case from the police command on the request of the management of GNGONI Nigeria Limited, manufacturers of the fake RAMBO insecticide.

The companys Executive Director, Mr. Kingsley Onwukwe had at the weekend written to the Asistant Inspector General of Police in charge of zone one to take over the investigation of the case involving the Indian from the state command for thorough investigation, which was after the suspect was allegedly granted bail shortly after he was picked up.

NAFDAC Deputy Director, Mr. Akinwunmi confirmed in a telephone chat with our correspondent that the agency has shown interest in the matter and has followed it up with a letter to the zone requesting for the transfer of the suspect and the case file to the agency, pointing out that the agency was still expecting police response to the request.

The long arms of the law last week caught up with a Nigeria based Indian business man over the alleged importation of 1500 cartons of fake Rambo Insecticides worth N8 million manufactured in China.

The suspect was said to have conspired with some dubious business men based in China to fake the insecticides which is the sole property of a Nigerian company GONGONI which also produces other insecticides such as BAYGON.

The Executive Director, of GONGONI Nigeria Limited Mr. Kingsley Onwukwewho described the discovery as shocking told newsmen that the fake insecticide which is a direct resemblance of the one produced by the Nigerian Company also bears the same NAFDAC number like that of GONGONI pointing out that the fake RAMBO was brought in through the Nigerian Border with Niger in Katsina State.

He disclosed further that news about the existence of the fake items in Nigeria was brought to the company through one of the major distributors who was approached by middle men of the Indian National to come and purchase the items pointing out that as soon as they got wind of that they made available some money to their distributors to purchase 30 cartons of the fake insecticides which is said is very difficult to differentiate from the original one produced by his company.

The arrest of the middle men in the shoddy deal, Kingsley said led to the arrest of the Indian, Vijay in whose warehouse over 700 cartons of the inferior insecticides were carted away while the suspect was said to have own up the importation from China, revealing that they fake anti-mosquito chemicals where shipped into the country from Dubai in the Middle East.

The GONGONIs Executive Director, said Vijay in his confession admitted to the crime but said it was his first shipment adding that he has distributed some 500 hundred cartons to Maiduguri in Borno state while others were moved to Singa Market in Kano .

The company, Mr. Kingsley pointed out is at lost as to how men of the Nigerian customs services at the border town could not impound the items knowing that RAMBO is licensed in Nigeria and to a Nigerian Company, GONGONI "so I am surprised that they saw it as a normal importation because, there no way you can see RAMBO coming into Nigeria when it is supposed to be an export product without suspecting fowl play.

He told reporters that already the company has taken a decision to write the Nigerian Immigration Services on this issue so as to determine the status and the real mission of the suspect in Nigeria while it also intends to protest in writing to the Nigerian custom services, adding that, the companys worry is that such fake insecticide could cause serious health hazard to the people while at the same time impact negatively on the operations of GONGONI in terms of patronage.

GONGONI Nigerian Limited commended the effort of the Nigerian Police, Kano in the 5 days surveillance that led to the successful discovery of the warehouse where the fake items were stored. The police said they are investigating the matter and admitted keeping the exhibits for proper action. The Police Public Relation Officer for Kano command, Baba Mohammed Azare confirmed the development.