Voice Air Media
THE spokesperson for Erisco Food, makers of Nagiko Tomato Paste, the brand of tomato puree currently causing a stir on social media, has opened up on why a Facebook user, Chioma Egoji, who had published a ‘negative’ review on the paste, was arrested.
Egodi, on September 17, published a product review on her Facebook page, saying, “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.”
The said post has since attracted over 3,900 comments since publication.
However, not long after news of Egodi’s arrest surfaced on social media, netizens took to different social media to knock the management of Erisco Food, urging others to boycott the company.
Addressing social media claims, Erisco Food released a statement, tagging the claims “untrue.”
The statement also claimed that 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.
Meanwhile, the police spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, while responding to questions about the case on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday, said he was unaware of the case.
“If they claim that police arrest someone, they should be able to identify the state where she was arrested, and if she has been taken to the Force Headquarters, we need to know who acted. Now, we don’t know if she was arrested by the police or any other person,” he said.
In another tweet, Adejobi wrote, “Maybe she was violent or something else happened. We will need to find out. Our CRU and PCB will cross-check. Thanks.”
Egodi’s case has since begun to stir reactions amongst many who have taken to different social media platforms to share their thoughts.
#Nurlalah tweeted, “So, we’re boycotting Erisco Foods Ltd and all their products, right?
“Because I don’t understand how a customer who paid for your product, was dissatisfied with it, and posted a mildly bad review (I’ve seen way worse) gets arrested and transferred to Abuja. For what, precisely?”
#sire_sommy wrote, “Make dem just go shelf those products cos the bad PR it’s been getting especially now eh!”
#biutee_ Nanyang tweeted, “I was gifted two cartons of this Erisco product some months ago. I gave out much of it and left seven tins in my kitchen. I used it for the 1st time last week, and my stew turned out very sugary. Let them do something about their products and stop arresting customers for their honest reviews.”
#maestro also tweeted, “This is quite sad. One would think that this was an easy-fix case. But then, Chioma, a ‘consumer,’ the same day was moved to Abuja for an honest review of a product. I heard she is a nursing mother.”
While some netizens sympathised with Egodi’s plight, others knocked her.
#blosskm4good tweeted, “This woman must have been hired to bring Erisco’s business down; if not, why didn’t she first channel her complaints to the company? Rather, she brought her unconfirmed personal observations about the product to social media to tarnish Erisco while promoting other brands.”
#Chidimmachisom wrote, “Unpopular opinion, but then that lady is supposed to be arrested. Why will you bring another person’s business down? I don’t have a problem with her review, but why would she promote others in the process and bring Erisco down? Let’s be honest with ourselves, beg.”
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.
