Five suspects, arrested by the police for operating a fake brewery, where they allegedly used to produce malt and stout, yesterday denied the allegation. The suspects insisted that they only produced local gin and had never produced stout or malt drinks.
Last Wednesday, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, led a team of policemen to a factory at Igbogbo area of Ikorodu, where a brewery was discovered. At least five suspects were arrested in connection with the crime. Yesterday, the five suspects, Otiko Onoriode (30), Otiko Ogheneovo (39), Esiekpe Benson (28), Diakpmerere Emmanuel (32) and Mrs. Diakpomerere, presented to journalists, denied the allegation. Onoriode, who spoke with our correspondent, claimed that it was their father, who was using the facility for the production of local gin before he relocated to the village.
He said: “It was after my father relocated to the village that my brothers and I took over the production of the local gin. I was not even around when others were arrested. I was called that they had been arrested. It was when I went to chemical.
We then keep it for seven days, after which it would be ready. That is how we produce the local gin. It is the vapour that is coming out of heat that produces the gin. Our forefather has been producing the local gin for years. We produced it in Ondo and Delta states and other parts of the country.
The production of the gin did not start from us. It has been on for long years. “After we produced it, people used to come from various parts of the country to buy. We don’t produce malt and stout drinks.
What looked like the malt is called molasis, which is a by-product of sugar, which we usually get from Dangote, Flour Mill and Bus Sugar to produce the local gin.” Edgal said that forensic analysis of the recovered drinks was still being awaited. He added: “They are still waiting for the analysis of the products to ascertain where the products were being taken to for bottling and canning.”

I believe these men, Ijaw local gins are very good. On the other hand, I was expecting Ibo names but was disappointed especially as all crimes are attributed to 'developers from the east' according to Yoruba readers

Another flop by the police.