By Edith Igbokwe
The producer of Japata Alcoholic Bitters, Sunday Chibuike has been arrested for allegedly using Indian hemp to produce the bitters at Ayobo-Ipaja Local Council Area (LCDA) where the factory is located.
Chibuike was arraigned before a Lagos Federal High Court for producing, distributing, selling, and dealing in an unregistered alcoholic drink named Japata.
The defendants, Chibuike and his company, were arraigned alongside one Ekpendu Chizurumoke, on a six-count charge by the National Agency for Food Drug Administration And Control (NAFDAC) before the Court presided over by Justice Yelim Bogoro.
The prosecutor told the court that the defendants were producing the said alcoholic drink by mixing adulterated drinks with marijuana but deceitfully labeled it with another product’s label to give the wrong impression that the alcoholic drink is an original one.
However, the defendants pleaded not guilty when they were arraigned.
Presiding Judge, Justice Bogoro, after listening to both prosecutor and the defence lawyer, adjourned the matter to September 9, 2023, for trial.
He ordered that the defendants be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS).
The agency had earlier in August 2022 warned that the content of Japata Alcoholic Bitters in circulation was more harmful than the one submitted for testing and registration.
The NAFDAC DG, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye said it was not the first time agency would be raising concerns over Japata, an alcoholic drink produced by Chigodson International Company Ltd.
“An alcoholic bitters product that is of grave concern is Japata Alcoholic bitters, which was duly registered by NAFDAC but laced with marijuana or cannabis compared to the registered product that had only ethanol.
“Through intelligence, NAFDAC was able to shut down the company. This product, when tested in the laboratory, caused the death of the mice within five minutes,” NAFDAC wrote on its website.
Japata Alcoholic drink
