Erisco Foods, the manufacturer of Nagiko Tomato Paste, has defended its actions regarding the arrest of Facebook user Chioma Egodi in response to her ‘unfavorable’ review of the product.
Ms. Egodi posted a product review on Facebook on September 17th. In her review, she expressed her disappointment, stating, “Yesterday, I went to purchase canned tomatoes for making stew, but I couldn’t find Gino or Sonia brands.”
“So, I decided to buy this one. When I opened it, I decided to taste it. Omo! Sugar was just too much. Ha, biko, let me know if you have used this tin tomato before because this is an Ike gwuru situation.”
Her review got tons of reactions from Facebook users, with many calling for boycott of the product.
But the company released a statement, accusing the woman of intending to mislead its customers.
It said Egodi’s post was “obviously intended to mislead our esteemed customers and discredit the image of Erisco Foods Limited, as previously instigated by some elements and syndicates who are uncomfortable with our increasing market dominance as a leading indigenous manufacturer of tomato pastes.”
Speaking with newsmen, spokesperson for Erisco Foods Nnamdi Nwokolo said, “The allegations were grave, so we petitioned the police to investigate the matter. So if the police find criminal defamation against Chioma Egodi and then arrest her, is it a crime that we sought the law?”
On Tuesday, chief executive officer of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, Babatunde Irukera announced Egodi had been released from police custody.
“Further Update: Ms Chioma has been released on bail. Mutual commitments by both parties before the police,” Irukera wrote on X.
