The hoodlums also attacked mobile policemen attached to the enforcement directorate of the agency.
The enforcement teams were on nationwide raid for fake, unregistered, counterfeit and suspected contaminated vegetable oil in major markets and distribution channels in the states when the traders and touts swooped on them.
The traders seized some of the products already evacuated by the teams and beat up one of the agency’s staff, Miss Evelyn Chiemeke.
The officials narrowly escaped a mob attack at Ikorodu market where four shops and two traders arrested.
After seizing 438 gallons of fake vegetable oil valued at N6, 576,000, some of the traders attacked the officials with weapons for a free- for- all at the instigation of a market leader who later admitted to have imported the unregistered vegetable oil from Benin Republic.
At Sango market in Ogun State, members of the market union assaulted the officials after six shops were sealed.
At Alabarago market in Ojo, the team forcefully opened a warehouse stock with fake products after the owners absconded on sighting the officials.
A mobile policeman attached to the team was attacked and almost lost his gun to the mob in the process.
Briefing reporters after the raids, NAFDAC’s Chief Regulatory Officer, Enforcement Operations, Joseph Folorunsho-Idowu, regretted the exercise was marred by pockets of violence.
He explained that the exercise was a continuation of its nationwide regulatory exercise.
