Miracle Water, Soap: Nigerian pastor reacts to NAFDAC’s allegations

Delta State-based church, the Christ Mercy Land Deliverance Ministries, has responded to the recent allegations by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

NAFDAC announced on Sunday that it is investigating the church for its wide-ranging “miracle” products sold to the public after receiving a petition from concerned citizens regarding their activities.

The agency claims that its name has been used by the church and its pastor, Jeremiah Omoto, to deceive unsuspecting members of the public, by falsely claiming that their products, including “miracle” water and soap, are NAFDAC-registered.

Church reacts

Meanwhile, the church in a statement posted by Mr Omoto on his Facebook page, noted that the ministry is a law-abiding institution guided by the Nigerian constitution and that its spiritual products are part of religious beliefs.

“As a Christian association, we are guided by Sections 39 and 38 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which guarantees all Christians and our Church the Right to freedom of religion without interference whatsoever in this regard.

“It is sequel to that, as a church we have been operating and guided by the tenets of our faith and biblical injunctions in the holy bible in this regard. We have been using certain spiritual items in the expression of our religious beliefs,” the church noted.

The church noted that its pastor, Mr Omoto has never used NAFDAC’s name to deceive innocent members of the public, describing such claims as “purely unfounded in facts and narratives.”

Petition, fake receipts

The church said that the only petition filed against it was by Martins Otse, popularly known as Verydarkblackman, who called the church out for allegedly deceiving people with “miracle water and soap.”

The church said it has since sued Mr Otse before the FCT high court on sundry allegations and matters.

On NAFDAC invitation, the church said: “As a law-abiding organisation, we did officially as an organisation write to NAFDAC headquarters office, Abuja on the short less than 12 hours’ time frame given to us to appear and by an official letter communicated our position in this matter to NAFDAC and then also sent another subsequent letter to NAFDAC.”

It added that its Head of Administration, Oguluoa Fufeyin, the concerned contractor to the church, Globod Table Water, and its legal representatives honoured the invitation of NAFDAC on 2 September at its Asaba headquarters office.

The church also claimed that: “The supposed nominal complainant to NAFDAC Asaba office forged the Church receipts to clothe himself with the right to bring a complaint before the NAFDAC office in this regard.

“We also wish to state that presently there is an ongoing police investigation of certain receipts that has indicted the nominal complainants to NAFDAC office, which same receipts is presumed to have been forged and used falsely in procuring the now investigated spiritual items by NAFDAC office.”

NAFDAC investigation

As part of its investigation, NAFDAC said it has “sealed Globod Table Water factory for aiding and abetting the production, sale and advertisement of unregistered and unwholesome Miracle Water under the pretext of fake NAFDAC Registration Number.”

In a statement on Sunday signed by its Director General, Mojisola Adeyeye, NAFDAC said none of the products advertised and sold is registered with the agency as claimed by Mr Omoto.

Therefore, it advised the public to stop patronising any of the products while it continued investigating the organisation’s activities concerning products reported to have been manufactured and sold by it.