The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has confiscated 120 fake bags of rice from various shops in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
A statement by the NAFDAC Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Southsouth zone, Cyril Monye, said the discovery was made when the agency in partnership with Big Bull raided the shops.
The statement quoted NAFDAC Coordinator in Rivers State, Pharm. Emmanuel Onogwu, as warning the general public and traders to beware of fake and rebagged rice being sold by some unscrupulous persons.
He said that the agency in collaboration with producers of Big Bull rice raided shops at Woji, Mile 3 and Mile 1 markets in Port Harcourt where bags of fake Big Bull rice were sold.
One of the shops in YKC axis of Woji, Port Harcourt suspected to be where the fake rice was being supplied had large quantities of empty fake Big Bull bags of rice and other products including Cap Rice, stallion rice, tomato, mama pride among others.
A sales girl, who gave her name as Ogechi Okafor, was also arrested at the shop.
Other items recovered in the shop were sewing/ceiling machines, generator set, stove, thread and bags of already rebagged rice.
Onogwu advised the public to always look out for some distinctive features that distinguished the original Big Bull products from the fake ones.
He named the features as the shiny ribbon that run across the threaded top, high quality of the bag, logo among others.
He added that rebagged rice was from questionable sources and polished with chemicals to look attractive.
