Food and Drink
Sachet Alcohol Ban on Hold as FG Directs NAFDAC to Stop Enforcement
Sachet Alcohol Ban on Hold as FG Directs NAFDAC to Stop Enforcement
The Federal Government has again reaffirmed the suspension of all enforcement actions relating to the proposed ban on sachet alcohol and 200ml PET bottle alcoholic products, warning the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to desist forthwith from further sealing of factories and warehouses.
This renewed directive follows a joint intervention by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) and the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), both of which have raised serious concerns over the security implications of continued enforcement actions in the absence of a fully implemented National Alcohol Policy.
According to OSGF and NSA, the National Alcohol Policy has now been signed by the Federal Ministry of Health in line with the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. However, they stressed that until the policy is fully implemented and further policy direction is issued by the Office of the SGF, NAFDAC must refrain from all enforcement measures, including factory shutdowns, warehouse sealing, and public emphasis on the sachet alcohol ban.
The SGF and NSA jointly warned that the continued sealing of warehouses and de facto banning of sachet alcohol products, without a harmonised policy framework, is already creating economic disruptions and poses a growing security threat, particularly given the impact on employment, supply chains, and informal distribution networks across the country.
This position reinforces an earlier directive issued by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation in December 2025, which formally suspended all actions relating to the proposed ban pending consultations and a final government decision.
In a statement issued by the Special Adviser on Public Affairs to the SGF, Terrence Kuanum, the OSGF disclosed that it had received an official correspondence from the House of Representatives Committee on Food and Drugs Administration and Control, dated November 13, 2025. The letter, referenced NASS/10/HR/CT.53/77 and signed by the committee’s Deputy Chairman, Hon. Uchenna Harris Okonkwo, raised concerns over NAFDAC’s proposed enforcement actions and drew attention to existing resolutions of the National Assembly on the matter.
The OSGF explained that, in line with its statutory role as Chairman of the Cabinet Secretariat, it is currently reviewing all legislative resolutions, public health considerations, economic implications, and national interest factors surrounding the issue.
“Accordingly, all actions, decisions, or enforcement measures relating to the ongoing ban on sachet alcohol are to be suspended pending the final consultations and implementation of the National Alcohol Policy and the issuance of a final directive,” the statement emphasized.
The Office further clarified that any enforcement action carried out by NAFDAC or any other agency without due clearance and resolution from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation is invalid and should be disregarded by the public until an official position is formally communicated.
With the latest intervention by the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Federal Government has now elevated the matter beyond regulatory concerns, stressing that premature enforcement without coordinated policy implementation could destabilize communities, worsen unemployment, and trigger avoidable security challenges.
The SGF and NSA reiterated that the warning stands, and that NAFDAC is expected to cease forthwith from further enforcement actions or public emphasis on the sachet alcohol ban until the National Alcohol Policy is fully operationalized and further directives are issued by the appropriate authorities.
The Federal Government assured Nigerians and industry stakeholders that a final, balanced, and lawful decision would be communicated in due course, following comprehensive consultations and inter-agency coordination in the overall interest of public health, economic stability, and national security.
EFCC Arrests Woman Over Alleged N165m Property Fraud In Benin
EFCC arrests woman over alleged N165m property fraud in Benin. The Benin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has arrested one Mrs Salt Adeaze Udoka for property fraud. Udoka, 48 is alleged to have collaborated with two others to obtain the sum of N165 million under the pretence of selling a landed property to their victim.
Preliminary investigation by the Commission revealed that the victim transferred the said sum to the suspect and her accomplice, Ndubisi John Iheukwumere, both of whom promised to sell the property, measuring 100 acres at Ewulu Kingdom, Delta State to him.
However, upon the receipt of the money, Udoka and her accomplices went out of circulation and cut off communication with their victim, leaving him without the property he paid for nor refunded him.
EFCC Arrests Woman
She has made useful statements to the Commission and will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.
Lagos: NDLEA Arrests Brazil Returnee With Cocaine Concealed In Private Part
Lagos: NDLEA arrests Brazil returnee with cocaine concealed in private part. Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the arrival hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja, Lagos, have arrested a Brazil-based Nigerian businessman, Uche Franklin Onyekwere, for concealing parcels of cocaine in his private part and soles of his footwear.
Onyekwere was arrested on Thursday, January 29, 2026, during the inward clearance of South African Airways flight passengers arriving from Brazil via Johannesburg following processed intelligence. When the 47-year-old suspect was taken a full body scan, the result confirmed illicit drug concealment.
As a result, he was subjected to a strip search, during which a big parcel of white powdery substance, which later tested positive for cocaine, was discovered wrapped around his right thigh.
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, said: “a further search revealed two additional wraps of the same substance concealed in the sole of a pair of flat shoes worn by the suspect.
“In all, three large wraps of cocaine, with a gross weight of 1.60 kilograms, were recovered from his body and footwear.
“During a preliminary interview, the suspect revealed he purchased the illicit drug consignment in Brazil with the intention to resell the cocaine in Nigeria in order to raise capital to boost his business and also finance the naming ceremony of his newly born child.
Why Visit Beijing, China?
“The suspect who lives in Rua Ever, Mulariuha, São Paulo, claimed that he has been living in Brazil since 2008 while he has been operating a toy business for about nine years.”
Also, at the Tincan seaport in Lagos, a total of 55 jumbo bags of Canadian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis with a gross weight of 1,183 kilograms imported from Montreal, Canada, in a container was discovered on Wednesday, January 28, during a joint examination of the shipment by NDLEA officers, Customs operatives and other security agencies.
The illicit consignments were hidden inside two vehicles: a Hyundai SUV and a Toyota Matrix car.
NDLEA
In Niger State, NDLEA operatives acting on credible intelligence in the early hours of Tuesday, January 26, intercepted a long truck marked T 31589 LA along Dei-Dei expressway in Abuja where they arrested the trio of Andy Chidogu, 49; Kenneth Ogene, 45; and Sadiq Olanrewaju, 27, for conveying 176 bags of skunk, a strain of cannabis weighing 2,735 kilograms and 1 kilogram of Colorado, a synthetic cannabis, concealed in the truck.
Investigations revealed that Ogene, who drove the truck, left Lagos on January 23, loaded with 800 bags of flour to Ekpoma, Edo State, and arrived the following day. In Ekpoma, he then negotiated to transport the 176 bags of skunk and 1kg Colos for N1.7million.
Sachet Alcohol Ban Meant To Protect Children, It’s Not Punitive Says NAFDAC
Sachet alcohol ban meant to protect children, it’s not punitive says NAFDAC. The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says its enforcement of the ban on alcoholic beverages in sachets and small plastic or glass bottles is aimed at protecting children and young people, not punishing manufacturers.
In a statement on Thursday, Mojisola Adeyeye, NAFDAC director-general, said the policy was driven by public health concerns and growing evidence that alcohol packaged in sachets and containers below 200 millilitres has increased underage drinking across the country.
Sachet Alcohol Ban
The agency recently began enforcement of the ban following a directive by the senate, with the backing of the ministry of health and social welfare.
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