The Bida Local Government Council in Niger State has shut down ice cream production facilities over alleged poor hygiene, lack of operating licences and failure to obtain registration from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

The council said its environmental health officials discovered serious sanitary violations during an inspection, including flies in ice cream mixtures and the absence of product labels to identify their contents and sources.

The council’s Chief Press Secretary, Aliyu B. Umar, disclosed this in a statement posted on Facebook on Thursday.

According to the statement, laboratory analysis of substances used in production reportedly revealed a lack of nutritional value and the presence of substances considered dangerous to human health.

The council said the facilities were shut down after their managers confirmed that they did not possess the required operating licences and NAFDAC registration numbers.

It added that production equipment and other materials used in the facilities were evacuated during the operation.

The enforcement exercise followed complaints from residents about an ice cream production facility located around the Federal Polytechnic Bida area.

The statement noted that several vendors reportedly visited the facility every morning to purchase ice cream for distribution and sale across Bida, raising concerns about the potential health risks to consumers.

Speaking during the operation, the Supervisory Councillor for Health and Social Welfare, Ahmed Danladi, said the council was committed to ensuring that food and beverages sold to residents were produced under hygienic conditions and in compliance with relevant regulations.

Danladi said the council chairman, UM Manko, would take appropriate action against individuals and businesses involved in illegal food and beverage production or violations of public health and environmental regulations.