by Anike Jacobs

Apart from the importation, storage and use of fake, unregistered and expired/unwholesome food products to produce consumables for customers,  Chocolat Royal was sealed by NAFDAC on discovery of six illegal 40ft cold rooms fully stocked with contaminated food products built on top of sewages (suck away pit) and in front of toilets.

According to an exclusive report by the City Reporters, not only that majority of these food products discovered, have expired since 2004, (11- years ago) and the least 2013, the most worrisome aspect of it all was the discovery to the consternation of NAFDAC officials that the management of Chocolat Royal had revalidated the expiring dates of almost all the food products, while 90 % of them were not even written in English language and therefore not registered.

The Chairman is “allegedly” on the run:

Investigations however reveal that Moussali who is now at large travels abroad to source for companies whose food products have few months to expire.

How NAFDAC shut it down:

When NAFDAC arrived at Mr Moussalli’s Karimu Kotun residence, they found two 40ft secret illegal cold rooms filled with fake, unregistered and expired food products built on top of sewage.

But not before the foreign national security guards and other domestic staff, unleashed dogs on the NAFDAC officials and refused to open the main gate leading to the building against all entreaties.

They had to put a call across to the Director Investigation and Enforcement NAFDAC, Mr. Kingsley Ejiofor who immediately stormed the scene.

When finally the gate was forced opened and the guards subdued, the cooks voluntarily opened the two cold rooms where the entire products in stock were discovered to have expired, many since 2004 with maggots’ found in some .

At the end of evacuation, two buses and two Hilux pick-up vans filled with the fake and expired products worth over N500 million, all imported were evacuated from the Karimu Ikotun resident of Mr. Moussali alone.

Even the Cooks played a part in the dirty game:

On Interrogation, the jittery cooks who identified themselves as John Gbokasa and David from Benin Republic confirmed to NAFDAC officials that the House belongs to Mr Moussali and that the fake, unregistered and expired food products found inside the two cold rooms were for Chocolat Royal.

“I know that the products have expired, some, 2004, 2006, 2009, but I am a cook and I take instruction from my boss,” David said.

“Anytime they need some products to prepare edibles at Chocolat Royal, they come here with van and mine is to give them key to take whatever they want and after they finish taken the items, they will return the key to me,” John added.

They however begged the NAFDAC officials not to arrest them but wait until their boss, Mr Moussalli who absconded and is still at large or the wife who they said was out of the country return. NAFDAC however, turn down their plea and arrested the two who during interrogation at Apapa office of the Agency gave vital information to NAFDAC.

Conclusion:

In all it could be said that, Chocolat Royal has contributed to at least 10% of complicated health problems witnessed in Nigeria in the last 15 years based on the terrifying quantities of unregistered and expired food products discovered and evacuated in their cold rooms and stores.

Sola