Lagos Trader Admits Selling Expired Mosto Tinto Wine
Kehinde Adeleye
A Lagos-based trader, Ibeh Nkemakonam, has pleaded guilty to possessing, storing and selling expired Mosto Tinto wine in violation of food safety regulations.
Nkemakonam, 48, who operates under the business name Magkem Investment, changed his earlier not-guilty plea to admit three charges filed against him by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) before the Federal High Court in Lagos.
The charges stemmed from an alleged incident involving the sale and storage of expired wine at the Balogun Business Association Trading Complex, Lagos, on April 3, 2024.
NAFDAC had accused Nkemakonam of committing the offences alongside one Okafor James Cyril, who is reportedly still at large.
The defendant was initially arraigned in 2024, when he pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail by the court.
However, at the resumed hearing, he informed the court of his decision to change his plea, subsequently admitting the three-count charge before Justice Yelim Bogoro.
Following the guilty plea, NAFDAC prosecutor, Cynthia Igweiro, asked the court to adjourn the matter to enable the prosecution to review the facts of the case ahead of sentencing.
She also requested that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), an application that was not opposed by defence counsel.
Justice Bogoro subsequently adjourned the case until November 18, 2026, for a review of the facts and sentencing, while ordering that Nkemakonam be remanded in correctional custody.
In the first count, NAFDAC accused the trader of possessing expired Mosto Tinto wine at the Balogun Business Association Trading Complex, an offence punishable under Section 3 of the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, Cap. C34, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The second charge bordered on storing wine allegedly deemed unfit for human consumption, contrary to Section 1(1)(b) of the Food and Drugs Act, Cap. F32, LFN, 2004, and punishable under Section 17(1) of the same legislation.
The third count accused him of storing adulterated food products in violation of Section 1(2) of the Food and Drugs Act.
NAFDAC alleged that all three offences were committed on April 3, 2024, at the Lagos trading complex.
The defendant is expected to return to court on November 18 for further proceedings and sentencing.
