NSCDC Arrests Two Over Illegal Juice Factory in Lagos

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested two women for allegedly operating an illegal factory producing adulterated fruit juice in Lagos. The raid, which took place on September 19, 2026, targeted a facility in the Badagry area where a drink branded as "Barkas Juice" was being manufactured. NSCDC operatives, working with a Nigerian Army formation, conducted the operation after five days of surveillance. The suspects, aged 48 and 50, were taken into custody at the premises on Talabi Onilegbale Street in Aradagun. The agency stated the factory was unregistered and the product was marketed with a purportedly fake National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) registration number, 012166L. According to the NSCDC, preliminary investigations indicate the juice was produced using water, synthetic flavourings, industrial sweeteners, artificial colourants, and chemical preservatives, with no real fruit content. The agency alleged the production environment was highly unhygienic, with a dirty well serving as the water source.