FIC Report (Oyo State) – The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC), on Tuesday April 2nd, 2024, shot down sales activities of a popular groceries and cosmetics supermarket, Pinnacle, in Dugbe area of Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, over sales of fake products.
The supermarket, which was usually a beehive of activities, was now a shadow of itself as the gate leading to the premises was shut with an inscription directing customers to its branch at Challenge.
However, the management of the supermarket cited technical issues as reason for its closure.
Nevertheless, an inside source, who pleaded for anonymity, revealed that problem started on Tuesday, 2nd April , 2024, when a NAFDAC surveillance team stormed the mall to effect a total shutdown of the premises, whowere seen forcing shoppers out of the supermarket.
“The NAFDAC team came inside the mall and told us to close, even though people were many inside who wanted to do shopping but they couldn’t because the NAFDAC team on the premises demanded closure of the store, causing termination of sales operation in the supermarket”, the source said.
Confirming the closure operation of the store, a top ranking officer at Ibadan zonal office of NAFDAC disclosed that the directive for the closure came from Lagos office and was enforced.
According to the NAFDAC source, the agency had been on the trail of Pinnacle while its CEO had been invited since January, who had rather failed to turn up, hence the reason for the total shutdown.
“The woman displayed a total disregard to authority, despite the fact that fake products were traced to the mall. She was invited to the Lagos office but didn’t oblige. Nobody is above the law,” the source said.
Oyewole Temitope,
SI&PRO.
Edited by Moses Oyelade, AD(Information and Public Relations)
FIC,IBADAN
