Fake Goya olive oil maker jailed: how to spot counterfeit cooking oil before you buy

A Federal High Court in Umuahia has sentenced an Aba businessman to five years in prison, with an option of a N5m fine, for making and selling fake Goya Extra Virgin Olive Oil. NAFDAC, which prosecuted the case, says genuine Goya oil sold in Nigeria comes only in imported glass bottles, and is urging buyers to check packaging and report suspicious products.

Justice K. O. Ogundare of the Federal High Court in Umuahia, Abia State, convicted Innocent Okoye, managing director of Chikason Industrial Nigeria Limited in Aba, on two counts of manufacturing and selling counterfeit Goya Extra Virgin Olive Oil on Wednesday 28 October, NAFDAC said in a statement reported by Vanguard, Punch and Tribune. He was sentenced to five years' imprisonment with the option of a N5 million fine.

The case began with a raid by NAFDAC's Investigation and Enforcement Directorate in April 2026, when officers found a facility in Aba that they said was used to produce and distribute the fake oil. Okoye was arrested and samples from the site were tested in the agency's laboratory before he was charged.

In January, NAFDAC warned the public about fake Goya oil sold in plastic (PET) bottles. Its Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Martins Iluyomade, said at the time that officers had found an illegal operation at Oke-Arin Market in Idumota, Lagos, where palm oil was allegedly mixed with colouring and repackaged as Goya oil. He said genuine Goya oil authorised for sale in Nigeria is imported in its original glass bottles through approved distributors.

The sentence drew wide reaction online after the agency's statement on Thursday. Many people welcomed the conviction, while others argued that a N5 million fine option is too light compared with what counterfeiters can earn and the possible health risks. Oils made or repackaged in uncontrolled conditions can contain undeclared substances, and buyers have no way of knowing what is inside, Vanguard noted.

Pidgin: Court for Umuahia don give Aba businessman five years for prison or N5 million fine because him dey produce fake Goya olive oil. NAFDAC talk say original Goya oil wey dem dey sell for Naija na glass bottle e dey come, no be plastic. If you see am for plastic bottle, make you shine your eye and report am.

How this affects you: Before buying olive oil or other branded cooking oils, check the packaging: NAFDAC says genuine Goya oil in Nigeria comes in glass bottles, not plastic. Look for a NAFDAC registration number and a clear expiry date, buy from shops you trust, and be wary of prices that look too cheap. Report suspected fakes to the nearest NAFDAC office or through the agency's official reporting channels.