A Nigerian customer was arrested by police after she went online to complain about the quality of the processed tomato she bought.
The manufacturer of the product, Lagos-based Erisco Foods Limited, said Chioma Egodi Jnr’s post on X, formerly Twitter, complaining about sugar in its Nagiko tomato mix, was “malicious”. The firm said it reported the case to “relevant authorities”.
“Our initial reaction was to ignore and disregard the post which was obviously intended to mislead our esteemed customers and discredit the image of Erisco Foods Limited,” Erisco said in a statement.
“Considering, however, that Erisco Foods Limited has built a reputation as a credible organization committed to due process and the good of humanity, we have decided to bring the said publication to the attention of relevant authorities.”
Nigeria’s Federal Competition & Consumer Protection Commission said Egodi Jnr was arrested in Lagos by police and taken to the capital Abuja. The FCCPC said it had issued summons to Erisco.
“Operatives have confirmed arrest & transfer of the case to Abuja by the Police Force. She was no longer at the station on arrival. Working to determine exact current location & engaging Force HQ in Abuja. Summons being issued to @EriscoFoodsLtd immediately,” director general Babatunde Irukera tweeted.
The case has shocked Nigerians, who frequently complain of cheating by businesses and harassment by police who should be protecting them.
Lawyer and activist Inibehe Effiong said the case bordered on “insanity”.
“A customer expressed her view on your tomatoes product, you decided to deploy the police to arrest her in Lagos and had her transferred to Force Headquarters in Abuja. There are certain things that happen in this country that can only be attributed to insanity,” he wrote on Twitter.
Police spokesperson Olumuyiwa Adejobi did not respond to a call by Pluboard seeking comments Monday.
Taken to Abuja
Egodi wrote about the tomato on Facebook on Sept. 17, saying she bought Nagiko tomato for stew when she did not find popular brands Gino and Sonia.
“When I opened, I decided to taste it. Omo, sugar is just too much!” she wrote, above an image of a Nagiko paste, before asking other users to share their experiences with the brand.
She later wrote that she went to give a speech in Lagos and was invited by police at a nearby station in Ogudu.
Erico said it recognized the rights of its consumers to make “genuine observations about our products” but would take “all necessary actions against any malicious attack on our reputation.”
He company, founded by Eric Umeofia in 2004, produces tomato paste, seasoning, rice, and milk cubes.
Its tomato processing plant was launched in February 2016 at event attended by Aisha Buhari in Lagos, wife of then President Buhari
In November 2016, the company said it was shutting down, firing 1,500 staff and moving abroad as it was unable to obtain the hard currency it needed to operate.
Founder Umeofia said at the time the company had accumulated losses of N3.6 billion naira.
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