The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says it has shut down eight illegal rice shops and a warehouse in Karu LGA of Nasarawa state.

A statement by the agency on Friday said officials  also seized “over 1,600 bags of counterfeit rice worth N5 billion” at Wuse and Garki markets in Abuja.

Kenneth Azikiwe, head of NAFDAC’s FCT directorate and leader of the operation, said the agency’s officials discovered counterfeit rice being repackaged in branded bags.

“Upon receiving these intelligence tips, NAFDAC Director-General, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, issued a directive that only safe, quality, and wholesome food products should be available to Nigerians during the yuletide and beyond,” he said.

“She specifically instructed that those counterfeiting popular brands of rice should be arrested and their products removed from the market.

“This act of counterfeiting rice is illegal. Consumers believe they are buying quality products, but the quality is often substandard.”

Azikiwe said after surveillance activities, the agency uncovered facilities where a woman specialised in repackaging popular rice brands for sale to the public.

He said the counterfeiting was only done at night at a warehouse behind the woman’s residential house.

“Once the repackaging is completed, the products are moved to another warehouse during the day for sale to unsuspecting consumers,” he added.