NAFDAC Secures 5-Year Jail Term For Counterfeit Goya Oil Manufacturer

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has secured the conviction of a businessman in Aba, Abia State, for manufacturing and selling counterfeit Goya Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

The businessman, Innocent Okoye, managing director of Chikason Industrial Nigeria Limited, was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment, with an option of a ₦5 million fine.

Justice K. O. Ogundare of the Federal High Court, Umuahia, Abia State, delivered the judgment on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, after convicting Okoye on two counts relating to the manufacture and sale of counterfeit Goya oil, according to information released by NAFDAC.

The conviction followed an enforcement operation by NAFDAC’s Investigation and Enforcement Directorate in April 2026, during which officials uncovered a facility in Aba allegedly used to produce and distribute the counterfeit product.

Okoye was arrested, while samples of the recovered products were sent to NAFDAC’s laboratory for analysis. The investigation subsequently led to his prosecution and conviction.

In January 2026, NAFDAC had warned Nigerians about counterfeit Goya oil packaged in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles and sold as genuine imported products.

At a media briefing in Lagos, the agency’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Dr Martins Iluyomade, disclosed that investigators had uncovered an illegal production operation at Oke-Arin Market, Idumota, Lagos.

According to NAFDAC, operators at the facility allegedly mixed palm oil with colouring agents before repackaging the mixture as Goya oil for sale.

Iluyomade said genuine Goya oil approved for sale in Nigeria was imported in original glass bottles through authorised distribution channels. He warned consumers against products bearing the brand name but packaged in PET plastic bottles.

The agency has urged consumers, traders and religious organisations to verify the sources of products they purchase and watch out for suspicious packaging or unusual product presentation.

It also encouraged Nigerians to report suspected counterfeit products, illegal manufacturing facilities and distribution networks to the nearest NAFDAC office or through its official reporting channels.

NAFDAC said tackling food counterfeiting required cooperation among manufacturers, distributors, retailers, consumers and law enforcement agencies to prevent falsified products from entering legitimate supply chains.

The agency reiterated its commitment to strengthening market surveillance, laboratory investigations and enforcement operations, as well as prosecuting individuals and companies involved in the production and distribution of counterfeit and substandard regulated products.