The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has issued a public alert regarding a fraudulent faith-based organization, Christ Mercy Land Delivery Ministries, which is misusing NAFDAC’s name to deceive innocent people.
Recently, NAFDAC was inundated with petitions from concerned citizens regarding Prophet Jeremiah Omoto of Christ Mercy Land Delivery Ministries, Sapele Road, Efurun, KM 5, Delta State. The petition stated that Miracle Water and Miracle Soap are being promoted with promises of healing and miracles and sold to unsuspecting members of the public by the Spiritual Ministry.
The Minister took to social media to showcase the use of the Miracle Water and Miracle Soap to cure infertility. He claimed that if women use the soap, they will have twins. He openly told his congregation that the soap is registered with NAFDAC. Citizens then visited the office to verify the claim.
The petitioners also submitted the following deliverables of the Spiritual Ministry to NAFDAC to verify the false claims.
The products are;
Miracle & Healing Water
River Jordan Water
The Miracle Water from The Pool of Bethsaida
A New Beginning Mount Camel Miracle Water
Water of life
Miracle Water from The Pool of Bethsaida (1L)
A New Beginning Pool of Bethsaida Water
Father Smelled Perfume.
Upon receiving the petition, NAFDAC, through the Director of Post-Market Surveillance (PMS) of NAFDAC, contacted the Delta State Coordinator to verify the existence and records of any transactions involving Christ Mercy Land Deliverance Ministries and the products at the Delta State office.
The Coordinator was also directed to visit the Ministry to verify the veracity of the allegations in the petition and to take necessary regulatory action against the manufacturing facility in the Ministry where Miracle Water and other products are manufactured. The State Coordinator covertly purchased Miracle Water (25cl) from the Ministry for 3000 Naira and took a photo.
The Delta State Coordinator on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, visited the Mercy Land Ministry and met with the Head of Service (HOS), Mr. Ogunleye Fufeyin, and the Chief Security Officer (CSO).
Officials denied manufacturing miracle and healing water or soap, although they could have presented proof of purchase. He claimed that only the logo and address on the label were theirs, not the product.
HOS added that they only had the pool of Bethsaida water, which was spiritual and artificial. HOS asked for time to meet with other staff. He returned 30 minutes later but refused to cooperate. He asked her to speak to the CSO.
On August 27, 2024, a team from NAFDAC and the Federal Task Force on Fake Drugs and Unhealthy Processed Foods visited the ministry to begin investigations at the point of purchase or place of manufacture with a view to possibly collecting samples for laboratory testing. However, the stakeholders did not cooperate with the team.
An invitation was sent to the stakeholders to be sent on August 28 but was not honored. Instead, the company submitted legal documents to the NAFDAC headquarters in Abuja on August 28, 2024, and asked them to return on September 3, 2024, to prepare the documents before their arrival. The agency ordered the prophet to appear at the NAFDAC office in Asaba by the 29th for further necessary investigations.
Despite being summoned earlier, the police officers investigating the Christ Mercy Land Delivery Ministry office continued to delay their appearance, instead opting to forward documents and request additional time to report. This caused frustration among those waiting for the investigation to begin, who were eagerly anticipating the police officers’ arrival on September 3, 2024.
In documents made available to the NAFDAC office on the evening of September 3, the religious group alleged that it had entered into a production contract with Globod Table Water Kilo 4, DSC Expressway, Otokutu, Delta State, without the knowledge of NAFDAC, whose National Office in Delta State is due to be completed. This act is illegal under the current rules and regulations on commercial production.
As part of our investigation, the NAFDAC Investigation and Enforcement Agency sealed off the Globod Table Water factory for aiding and abetting the manufacture, sale, and promotion of unregistered and unhealthy ‘miracle’ water under the pretext of a fake NAFDAC registration number.
At this point, it is abundantly clear that Christ Mercy Land Delivery Ministries (KM 5) is not prepared to face any investigation into the manufacture and promotion of a counterfeit, unhealthy, and unregistered alleged “miracle” product.
NAFDAC wishes to inform the public that none of these products being advertised and sold are registered with NAFDAC. The public is also advised to desist from purchasing these miracle products. NAFDAC is a scientific body that acts on verifiable scientific facts before registering any product.
“In the meantime, we will continue to investigate the activities of this faith-based body regarding products within our mandate that are reportedly manufactured and sold by it. We would like to take this opportunity to warn both religious bodies about the illegal manufacturing of regulated products that lack the necessary regulatory requirements.
“I want to assure Nigerians that we remain committed to protecting the health of our people” Prof Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, DG NAFDAC expressed.
