A woman from Nigeria was recently arrested after she claimed that the tomato paste she purchased from a local market had a sweet taste. The brand of the paste was Nagiko tomato mix, which is produced by Erisco Foods Limited located in Lagos.
The woman, who goes by the name Chioma Egodi Jnr on Facebook, posted about her experience on September 17. She stated that she had gone to the market the day before with the intention of buying either Gino or Sonia brand tomato paste, but unfortunately, they were not available.
He said he later bought Nagiko tomato mix that he had planned to use to make stew.
“When I opened it, I decided to try it, Omo! Sugar is too much! she wrote.
In the post, he urged other Facebook users to confirm whether they had used the product before, apparently to determine if they had had similar experiences.
Her Facebook profile suggests that she hails from Nnewi, Anambra State, but resides in Lagos State, southwestern Nigeria.
Newslodge learned that she was arrested on Sunday by the police.
The company reacts
Erisco Foods Limited called it “false and unfounded” that its pasta has a sugary taste.
In a statement issued by its management, the company said it was built on the vision and mission of manufacturing and promoting healthy and fully manufactured tomato products in Nigeria with a commitment to feeding Africa, including Nigeria.
“Our initial reaction was to ignore and disregard the post which was obviously aimed at misleading our esteemed customers and discrediting the image of Erisco Foods Limited,” the company said in a statement.
He claimed that similar posts had previously been instigated by “some elements and unions” uncomfortable with the company’s “market dominance.”
“However, considering that Erisco Foods Limited has earned the reputation of being a credible organization committed to due process and the good of humanity, we have decided to draw the attention of the relevant authorities to the said publication,” the statement added.
Nagiko tomato mix
The company promised it would take “all necessary measures against any malicious attack” on its reputation.
The Director General of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Babatunde Iruka, announced the arrest of Mrs. Okoli for her charge.
Iruka, a lawyer, in a post through his X account (formerly Twitter) on Monday, said FCCPC operatives arrested and later transferred the suspect to the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
“She was no longer at the station when he arrived. (I am) working to determine the exact current location and engage with Force Headquarters in Abuja,” she wrote on the microblogging site.
“A summons will be issued to Erisco Foods Limited immediately.”
“You acted viciously and irresponsibly”
Reacting, a human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, criticized Erisco Foods Limited for allegedly “instigating” the police to arrest and detain the client over her negative review of their product.
Effiong, in a post via his name X on Monday, said the company’s management “acted callously and irresponsibly.”
The lawyer stressed that the company should have issued a public statement or even contacted the woman to understand her point of view and explain its position if they did not agree with his review.
“That would have earned the company and the brand more sponsorship,” he said.
Effiong criticized the police for the arrest and said it was unfortunate that the police had “refused to reform”.
The lawyer said it is worrying that “any charlatan” in the country can easily weaponize the police, who he said has continued to criminalize civil disputes in the country.
“We can’t continue like this,” he said.