 |
| Illegal juice factory and Command, SC Oluwaseun Abolurin NSCDC spokesperson |
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Lagos State Command, has clamped down on an alleged clandestine juice manufacturing facility located in the Aradagun area of Badagry, arresting two women and uncovering the use of minors in the production line.
The high-stakes raid took place on Monday, September 21, 2026, acting on credible intelligence gathered by security operatives regarding suspicious and unhygienic manufacturing activities at the location.
According to the Civil Defence Public Relations Officer for the Lagos State Command, SC Oluwaseun Abolurin, tactical officers who stormed the compound discovered that the facility was actively mass-producing and packaging a brand known as Barkas Juice.
“Quantities of already packaged juice were found at the facility, while some of the products were allegedly being loaded into container vehicles for distribution to markets across Lagos,” Abolurin stated.
During a thorough search of the premises, operatives recovered raw materials used in the mixture, including industrial sugar, water, adhesives, synthetic dyes, and various colorants. Compounding the gravity of the raid, the NSCDC spokesperson noted that underage individuals aged 15 and 16 were reportedly found participating in the factory operations. The identities of the two women apprehended during the sweep have been temporarily withheld pending further investigative breakthroughs.
In contrast to the security agency's findings, one of the arrested women offered a defense, claiming the facility’s operations were legitimate and deeply rooted in family history.
In an interview with CityMood, the suspect asserted that the business was originally established by her grandmother and had operated for nearly two decades before facing temporal shutdowns due to economic challenges. She maintained that the outfit was actively pursuing the renewal of its operational permits with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
Addressing the scale of production, she claimed the factory did not run on a daily basis. “The facility only produced juice about three or four times a year, depending on customer orders,” she claimed.
She further revealed that she operates a retail outlet at the popular Oke Arin Market in central Lagos, identifying her primary bulk buyer as a commercial trader based in Benin City, Edo State.
Authorities have noted that these conflicting defense claims remain unverified as comprehensive forensic and regulatory investigations continue.
The NSCDC has assured the public that the file will be thoroughly processed, and the arrested suspects will be formally arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction as soon as investigations are concluded.