The Anambra State Police Command has uncovered an illegal factory producing fake soft drinks in Okpoko, Ogbaru Local Government Area of the state.
The operation, carried out by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu, led to the dismantling of the factory and the arrest of a suspect found at the site. Several fake drinks branded as “Iyi Obeleagu Juice” were recovered.
Police spokesman Tochukwu Ikenga, who disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, said the products were manufactured without approval from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and were “considered highly harmful to the health of both adults and children.”
The statement read in part: **“Operatives of the Anambra State Police Command attached to the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu, on September 3, 2025, uncovered and dismantled an illegal factory producing toxic fake soft drinks in Okpoko, Ogbaru Local Government Area.
“The operatives arrested one Chigozie Okafor, aged 48 years, in connection with the illicit act and recovered 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.
“The products are considered highly harmful to the health of both adults and children.”**
Ikenga added that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Ikioye Orutugu, has ordered a thorough investigation to identify other perpetrators and bring them to justice.
He noted that the CP also warned individuals engaging in such criminal activities to desist, stressing that the Command “will not relent in safeguarding public health.”
Illegal factories producing fake or substandard consumables—ranging from soft drinks to alcoholic beverages and drugs—remain a major public health concern in Nigeria, including Anambra State.
In October 2024, a task force uncovered a fake wine factory in Nkpor, Onitsha, where imitation brands such as ‘Classic Heaven’, ‘Baron Devanis’, ‘Dutch Black’, ‘Triple MW’, and ‘Hennessy’ were being packaged. Seven workers were arrested, and the facility was sealed.
Similarly, in June 2024, another illegal operation was discovered in Umuoji, Idemili North Local Government Area, where counterfeit pharmaceuticals including paracetamol and Flagyl were being produced. Six suspects were arrested, and the premises were sealed.