A group of perfume vendors at the Lagos Trade Fair Complex reportedly staged a protest, pressuring Lattafa Plaza to shut its operations and join demonstrations against a recent raid by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) targeting suspected counterfeit perfume sellers.
Videos circulating on social media showed a crowd gathered around Lattafa Plaza, with some protesters calling on the store to close in solidarity with other traders.
One of the clips captured a tense confrontation at the trade fair, with claims that Lattafa Plaza refused to shut down despite other shops complying with the protest.
The development followed a NAFDAC enforcement operation at the market, during which some stores were reportedly sealed over suspected sales of counterfeit or unregistered perfumes.
The raid came after online controversy surrounding a review of Lattafa perfumes by popular Nigerian food and lifestyle critic Opeyemi Famakin.
In the video, Famakin reviewed Lattafa perfumes and highlighted differences between authentic products and alleged counterfeits circulating in the market. The review generated reactions online, with discussions focusing on the authenticity and quality of perfumes sold by some vendors.
Following the online controversy, NAFDAC reportedly conducted an enforcement operation at the Lagos Trade Fair Complex and sealed some stores suspected of dealing in counterfeit or unregistered products.
The action subsequently triggered protests by some perfume vendors, who reportedly pressured Lattafa Plaza to shut down and join the demonstration against the regulatory operation.
NAFDAC maintains that its enforcement activities target unregistered, substandard and counterfeit products in the Nigerian market, practices that can pose risks to consumers and undermine legitimate businesses.
The incident has since generated reactions online, with discussions centred on counterfeit products, regulatory enforcement and the responsibility of traders to ensure that products sold to consumers meet required standards.
While some critics accused traders of opposing enforcement measures against counterfeit products, the specific allegations against individual vendors and stores remain subject to verification.
