In a twist of events, Erisco Foods Ltd, a renowned indigenous manufacturer of food products in Nigeria, has come under fire following a controversial arrest and trial of a pregnant woman, Mrs Chioma Okoli, for reviewing its Tomato puree on social media.
The review, which criticised the product’s quality, had led to the arrest of Mrs Okoli and subsequent trial by the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) for allegedly breaching the country’s cybercrime laws, in a case that has gripped the country and sparked protests by netizens, who believed she is being persecuted for exercising her right to free speech.
Through her counsel, Barr. Inibehe Effiong, netizens had also donated money for her legal fees as a show of solidarity.
The case, has, however, taken a new turn as it has sparked a wave of solidarity from consumers across various online platforms, sharing their own negative experiences and significantly damaging the company’s reputation as reaction to Okoli’s plight.
On Friday, a former federal lawmaker, who represented Kaduna Central in the 8th Senate, Senator Shehu Sani, described the development as a bad publicity for Nigeria.
Senator Sani, also human rights activist, who took to his X handle (formerly Twitter) to comment on the issue, wrote: “Nigeria is in the news all over the World for detaining a Woman for reviewing a tomato paste. Most of the commentators mocked at us. This is bad publicity.”
Also, Erisco Foods’ rating on Google plummeted to less than 1.3 after Reddit users rallied in review, with comments lambasting the company’s approach to criticism.
“They’re not exactly confident in their product if they have anyone who criticizes it arrested,” wrote Musicman1972. @vegan_Harvest added, “Now the whole world knows their product is too sweet and the company is run by litigious, thin-skinned, assholes.” The call for action was clear in @Thirsty_Comments88’s plea: “We need a worldwide boycott of Erisco Foods immediately!”
The controversy has spilled over to Google Maps, where users like Chioma Onyiech criticised the company for bullying a reviewer and detaining a pregnant woman, while Emmanuel Odidi condemned the company as a violator of human rights with a subpar promduct.
However, a different note was struck by Chinedu Amah, who defended the company, stating, “No one should allow evil person to damage ur company. erisco tomato paste is what we eat in my house very nice.”
The saga has caught the attention of international media organisations, including CNN, Daily Mail Online, New York Post, and Metro.co.uk, highlighting the global attention on the incident.
In response, Erisco Foods has enlisted Freshminds Comm Ltd, a Public Relations and Media Company, to manage its image and reputation amid the ongoing crisis.
Recall that the controversy had started on September 24, 2023 when Chioma Okoli was arrested following her negative review of Erisco’s tomato puree on Facebook. Describing her detention as harrowing, Okoli, a mother of three and pregnant with her fourth child, was held in a leaky cell and forced to agree to a public apology for her bail—a condition she renounced after her release. She now faces a potential seven-year jail term or a fine of 5 billion Naira for damages the company claims her comments have caused, or possibly both if convicted.
Erisco Foods’ founder, Eric Umeofia, in a firm stance conveyed in an interview with Arise TV, declared he would not drop the lawsuit against Okoli, asserting, “I would rather die than allow someone to tarnish my image I worked 40 years to grow.”
