Illegal Goya Oil Factory: Churches Cannot Detect Fake Anointing Oil, Bishops Tell NAFDAC
Church leaders under the Ecumenical Synods of Bishops, Archbishops, Apostles and Senior Clergy have declared that churches lack the capacity to identify fake or adulterated anointing oil, urging the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to intensify its regulatory oversight.
The clerics spoke following the recent discovery by NAFDAC officials of an illegal Goya oil production facility in Lagos, where adulterated products were allegedly repackaged and sold to unsuspecting consumers, including religious institutions.
Reacting to the development, the International Secretary of the organisation, Osazee William, commended NAFDAC for what he described as a timely intervention, stressing that regulatory agencies—not churches—bear responsibility for ensuring product safety.
“God bless NAFDAC officials for this discovery. It shows the agency is rising to the occasion,” William said.
He explained that many churches use Goya oil for prayers, adding that once prayers are said over the oil, it becomes anointing oil, regardless of its original purpose.
“It is not possible for churches to detect fake oil brought by worshippers. As we know, God can even use water—not only oil—for anointing,” he said, insisting that identifying adulterated products remains the duty of regulatory authorities.
NAFDAC had earlier warned Nigerians against the use of Goya oil sold in plastic (PET) bottles, declaring them fake and unsafe for consumption. The warning was issued during a media briefing at the agency’s Investigation and Enforcement Directorate in Lagos.
Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Dr Martins Iluyomade, stated that Goya oil packaged in plastic bottles is not licensed by the agency.
“Goya oil sold in plastic bottles is fake. The only approved product is imported in original bottles by authorised dealers,” he said.
Iluyomade revealed that NAFDAC uncovered a large-scale illegal factory at Oke-Arin market in Idumota, Lagos, where burnt palm oil was mixed with colouring agents and repackaged as Goya oil.
Recovered items from the site included palm oil, colouring substances, stoves and empty bottles.
He warned that many Nigerians were unknowingly using the harmful product and urged churches and religious organisations to stop selling or distributing PET-bottled Goya oil during services and gatherings.
NAFDAC also announced the arrest of a suspect, Moses Nelson, linked to the distribution of adulterated Goya oil and counterfeit alcoholic drinks. Items recovered from his residence in Badagry, Lagos State, included empty exotic alcohol bottles, sachets and plastic-bottled alcohol.
Iluyomade warned counterfeiters to desist, assuring that NAFDAC would continue to prosecute individuals endangering public health for profit.