Traders in Kano have been arrested for allegedly attempting to alter the expiry dates of an expired milk product. The Kano State Consumer Protection Council carried out the operation with the leadership of Singer Market. The council sealed the shops linked to the alleged offence.
Nigeria’s food and beverage market has a long history of expired products being revalidated. In 2019, NAFDAC seized expired milk and beverages in Kano and Lagos. In 2021, similar cases emerged in Onitsha. In 2024, the FCCPC warned against the repackaging of expired goods. The practice persists because enforcement is weak and profits are high. Expired milk is cheap. Revalidated, it sells at full price.
The council’s Director of Public Enlightenment, Jamilu Mustapha Yakasai, issued a statement. The operation followed an emergency call from the Deputy Chairman of the Traders’ Association, Aminu Umar Dogara. The Director of Monitoring of Traders and Products, Auwalu A. Muhammad, said officials were deployed immediately. They arrested the suspects and closed the affected shops.
The Executive Secretary of the council, Dr Ibrahim Garba Muhammad, said the council would not allow traders to violate consumers’ rights. He warned that anyone found guilty would be prosecuted. He commended market association leaders for their cooperation. He thanked the Kano State Government for allowing the council to operate without interference.
The council did not say how many traders were arrested. It did not name the milk brand. It did not disclose how much of the product was found. Investigations continue.
Winners: The council, which demonstrated enforcement. Consumers, who were protected. Market leaders, who cooperated. The Kano State Government, which showed support. Losers: The arrested traders, who face prosecution. Their businesses, which were sealed. Other traders who revalidate products, who face scrutiny. Consumers who already bought the altered milk. The milk brand, if its reputation suffers.
Bottom Line: Expired milk was being revalidated. The council stopped it. The shops are sealed. The traders face court. Kano must keep watching. The next expired product is already on a shelf.