The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Lagos State Command, has arrested two women following the discovery of an alleged illegal fruit-drink production facility in Aradagun, Badagry.
The operation took place on September 19 and into the early hours of September 20, 2026, at a property on Talabi Onilegbale Street, Olorunda Local Council Development Area. The NSCDC said the raid followed about five days of surveillance and was carried out with support from a Nigerian Army formation.
The suspects, aged 48 and 50, were allegedly producing a drink branded “Barkas Juice” under Titi Alubarika Trading Stores Ltd. The Corps alleged that the facility was unregistered and that the product carried a purportedly fake NAFDAC registration number, 01-2166L.
NSCDC officials said they found cartons of the drink, rolls of labels, production equipment, chemicals, drums, a gas cylinder and a truck loaded with finished products at the premises. The Corps also described the production environment as unhygienic, alleging that a well and an industrial storage tank were being used in the production process.
The agency further alleged that the drink contained water, high levels of sugar, synthetic flavourings, additives and artificial colourants rather than real fruit. It said the products were being distributed in Lagos, Benin City and other parts of Nigeria. These claims remain allegations pending further investigation and, where necessary, laboratory testing.
The NSCDC also alleged that teenagers between 15 and 16 were being engaged in the production process. That allegation was reported by the Corps and remains subject to investigation.
One of the arrested women, identified in other reports as Morenikeji Alawiye, disputed aspects of the allegations. She said the business had been established by her grandmother and had operated for nearly 20 years. She also said the family had been attempting to regularise the business and its regulatory status.
The NSCDC said the factory has been shut down and that the suspects will face further investigation and possible prosecution. The Corps also said it would collaborate with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and other relevant authorities.
Nigeria’s NAFDAC has specific regulations governing the production, registration, labelling and sale of fruit juice and nectar, meaning claims about registration and product composition can be established through regulatory checks and laboratory analysis.
The investigation is ongoing, and the allegations against the suspects have not been established in court.
