NSCDC busts fake ‘Barkas’ Juice factory in Badagry, arrests Two, recovers machinery, chemicals

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

The Lagos State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested two women over the alleged production and distribution of adulterated fruit juice at an illegal factory in Badagry, Lagos State.

The suspects, aged 48 and 50, were arrested after operatives of the Corps conducted about five days of surveillance before raiding the facility, where they allegedly caught the suspects in the act of producing a fruit drink identified as “Barkas Juice.”

Suspects

The operation was conducted between Saturday, September 19, and the early hours of Sunday, September 20, 2026, with the support of a Nigerian Army formation in the area.

In a release signed by SC Oluwaseun Abolurin , Civil Defence Public Relations Officer, the operation followed intelligence received through its community engagement and information-sharing initiatives across Lagos State.

The Corps said some youths attempted to resist the operation, but the operatives, working with the Army, successfully contained the situation and carried out the raid.

Items recovered from the facility included a truck, cartons of the suspected adulterated fruit juice, production machinery, chemicals, drums and gas cylinders, among other materials.

Preliminary investigation by the Corps indicated that the product was allegedly manufactured using water, high levels of sugar, colourants, dyes, synthetic additives and other chemical substances, without the inclusion of real fruit.

The NSCDC also alleged that the product was being manufactured in an unhygienic environment and distributed to markets in Lagos, Benin City in Edo State and other parts of the country.

The Command said the product carried what it described as a suspected fake NAFDAC registration number, “01-2166L”.

The alleged owner of the business, aged 48, reportedly told investigators that the enterprise had been passed down to her from her grandmother, who initially engaged in water production before it was expanded into fruit juice production about 20 years ago.

The NSCDC said the investigation would establish the circumstances surrounding the production, registration and distribution of the product.

The State Commandant of the NSCDC, Mr Adedotun Keshinro, fnarc, said the two suspects would undergo further investigation and be prosecuted in accordance with the law.

Keshinro also ordered the immediate closure of the unregistered factory to prevent further production and distribution of the suspected adulterated product.

He said the Command would collaborate with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and other relevant agencies in the course of the investigation and prosecution.

The Commandant reaffirmed the NSCDC’s commitment to protecting residents from activities capable of threatening public safety and urged members of the public to continue providing credible information on suspicious production and distribution activities.

The NSCDC noted that its sustained engagement with communities across Lagos had strengthened public cooperation and intelligence sharing, which contributed to the successful operation in Badagry.