Facebook User Chioma Egodi Retracts Falsehood about Nagiko Tomato Mix and Apologizes to Erisco Foods Limited

A Facebook user, Mrs Chioma Egodi, has retracted her false claim and apologized to Erisco Foods Limited, a leading indigenous food processing company in Nigeria, over her negative review of one of its products, Nagiko Tomato Mix.

She had posted on Facebook on September 17, 2023, that she bought the product and found it too sweet. She claimed that she preferred other brands, such as Gino or Sonia, but they were out of stock.

 “I went to buy tin tomatoes yesterday that I will use to make stew. I didn’t see Gino and Sonia.

“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 post sparked a lot of reactions from other users and attracted the attention of the company, which petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Kayode Egbetokun, to arrest her. The company alleged that Mrs Egodi was paid by some competitors to tarnish the image of the brand and mislead the consumers.

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) intervened and demanded her release. Some Nigerians also expressed their outrage over the issue and called for a boycott of Nagiko Tomato Mix.

In her apology letter, Mrs Egodi said she realized that she made a grave mistake by lying about the product. She said she was deeply sorry for the harm she caused to the company, its customers and the public. She also said she would retract all her earlier posts on the matter immediately and do anything within her power to rectify all the things she did wrong.

“I sincerely wish to apologize to Erisco Foods Limited on the post I made on Facebook about their product Nagiko Tomotoes mix.

“I am truly sorry Sir. I am sorry for the lies concerning the product. I am truly sorry Sir.

“I regret my actions and wish to be forgiven.

“I pledge that this type of bad behaviour will never happen again.

“I undertake to retract all my earlier post on this matter immediately, this is without compulsion.

“I will do anything within my power to rectify all the things I did wrong concerning this matter.

“Once again I’m very sorry for the damage done to the company, it’s costumers and the general public.

“Thank you Sir.’

The CEO of Erisco Foods Limited, Mr Eric Umeofia, has said that he has accepted Mrs Egodi’s apology and that he will withdraw the lawsuit against her. He also said that he was grateful to the FCCPC for its intervention and that he was committed to working with the agency to protect the rights of consumers.

Newsflash Nigeria had earlier reported that Mr Umeofia vowed to sue Mrs Egodi for N5 billion over the false review. He said the company suspected that Mrs Egodi was not a genuine customer and could not provide any proof to support her claim.

He said she had written an apology letter to the company but had failed to post it on her Facebook page as agreed. He said he would sue her for N5 billion if she did not comply with the company’s demand.

He also defended the quality of Nagiko Tomato Mix, saying it was the best in the market and approved by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). He said sugar was added to the product as a preservative and that it was a matter of preference. He accused his competitors, especially importers of tomato paste, of being behind Mrs Egodi’s review. He noted that she was an “importer and exporter guru” and had attended a seminar on export promotion in Lagos.

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