The Edo State Consumer Protection Committee has sealed the production facility of Arden Table Water and arrested its owner following an investigation into the alleged use of a falsified National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) registration number and a suspected fake regulatory certificate.
The enforcement operation, which took place on Friday, November 13, 2026, followed a product verification exercise initiated by the committee’s chairman, Mr. Osaro Iyamu, popularly known as Osaro Culture.
According to information released by the committee, what began as a routine request for bottled water at the chairman’s office developed into an investigation after officials reportedly subjected Arden Table Water’s NAFDAC registration number to verification through the agency’s Tracking Authentication Platform.
The committee said the verification returned a “Record Not Found” result, raising suspicions about the authenticity of the registration number displayed on the product.
To further establish its findings, the team reportedly conducted a comparative verification exercise using Aquafina Premium Table Water. The committee said the registration details of the latter were successfully authenticated on the platform, while those displayed on Arden Table Water could not be verified.
The investigation allegedly uncovered an additional concern involving a NAFDAC certificate said to belong to the Arden Table Water company. The committee described the document as fake, although the allegations are yet to be independently confirmed by NAFDAC.
Following the findings, the committee ordered the sealing of the company’s production facility. The owner was also reportedly arrested and taken into police custody as investigations continue.
The committee’s action represents an escalation of its campaign against suspected fake, adulterated, substandard and unregistered products in Edo State, extending its enforcement activities to the packaged drinking water sector.
The development is particularly significant because bottled and packaged water are consumed daily by households, businesses, schools, restaurants and other public institutions. Questions surrounding the authenticity of a product’s regulatory registration therefore raise concerns about consumer protection and the need for proper regulatory oversight.
NAFDAC’s guidelines make it mandatory for packaged water manufactured in Nigeria to undergo the required registration process before it can be produced, advertised, distributed or sold. The agency’s requirements also include inspection of production facilities and compliance with prescribed manufacturing standards.
The agency’s guidelines for packaged-water facilities prescribe minimum Good Manufacturing Practice requirements and controls intended to ensure that drinking water is processed under conditions that meet safety and quality standards.
NAFDAC also provides official channels through which consumers can verify regulated products and report suspected violations. The agency advises consumers to check registration numbers, production and expiry dates, batch numbers, manufacturers’ details and product seals before purchasing regulated products.
The Edo State Consumer Protection Committee had earlier urged residents to authenticate packaged food, beverages, bottled and sachet water, drugs and other regulated products before buying or consuming them.
In a public advisory reported earlier in November, Iyamu encouraged consumers to use NAFDAC’s Automated Product Administration and Monitoring System, QR-code scanning facilities and other approved verification channels to confirm product registration.
The chairman also pledged that the committee would intensify market surveillance, product inspections and enforcement operations in collaboration with relevant government institutions and regulatory agencies.
However, the allegations against Arden Table Water should be distinguished from a final regulatory or judicial determination. A failed verification result and the committee’s reported discovery of a questionable certificate do not, on their own, establish that the water was contaminated or unsafe for consumption. Scientific testing and confirmation by the relevant regulatory authorities would be necessary to determine the product’s safety and the full extent of any regulatory violations.
As of the time of this report, no official statement from NAFDAC confirming the alleged falsification, laboratory findings on the water or the status of Arden Table Water’s registration had been independently established. The company’s response to the allegations was also not available.
The police are expected to investigate the reported arrest and establish whether any offence was committed in connection with the alleged use of false regulatory documents or the production and distribution of an unregistered packaged-water product.
The case also highlights the importance of stronger monitoring of packaged-water manufacturers and the need for consumers to report suspicious products rather than rely solely on brand names or claims printed on product labels.
For residents of Edo State, the central issue is the assurance that drinking water sold in markets and supplied to homes and businesses meets the necessary regulatory and safety requirements.
The Edo State Consumer Protection Committee says its campaign against fake and improperly registered products will continue, with the latest operation signalling increased attention to the table-water manufacturing industry.
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