The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control said it had arrested Mr. Obumneme Okpala, a man suspected to be behind a syndicate specialising in the importation, distribution, warehousing and sale of counterfeit insecticides.

According to the agency, the market value of goods recovered from Okpala is N50m, adding that the product was imported from China.

The Acting Director-General, NAFDAC, Mr. Ademola Magbojuri, said that the suspect in 2015 had imported a 40-feet container of Kilit insecticide through the Onne Port in Rivers State.

“The product was forfeited for destruction. He then wrote a notarised undertaking that he would not engage in the importation and distribution of fake, unwholesome and adulterated NAFDAC regulated products again.

“While investigation was still going on in the aforementioned case and to our utmost surprise, we found that Okpala had not changed his bad ways but has only changed tactics.”

The NAFDAC acting DG disclosed that the agency had been on the trail of the suspect for two years, adding that following a tip off, the team of NAFDAC investigation and enforcement officers was directed to carry out proper investigation into the intelligence report.

Magbojuri declared that Okpala would be prosecuted accordingly.

He listed items recovered from him as 1,539 cartons of Royal Dream insecticide and 52 cartons of Kilit insecticide.