Erisco Foods featured on CNN on Wednesday over the harassment of Chioma Okoli who made a negative review of the company’s tomato paste product.
Erisco’s founder, Chief Eric Umeofia is demanding N5 billion over Chioma’s review which he claimed had cost his company severe financial loss. In the alternative, he wants her to spend a long time in jail as retribution for the comment she made against his product. The police have vowed to prosecute Chioma for cybercrime, while Umeofia is separately pressing a N5 billion in damages.
Chioma’s initial comment on Facebook read: “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, accompanied by a photo of an opened can of Nagiko Tomato Mix, sparked varied reactions from commenters, one of whom replied: “Stop spoiling my brother’s product. If (you) don’t like it, use another one than bring it to social media or call the customer service.”
Her response to the reaction was what put her in trouble. She said: “Help me advise your brother to stop ki***ing people with his product, yesterday was my first time of using and it’s pure sugar.”
CNN has picked up on the Erisco story, which appears not complimentary as the report concluded with the quote from Erisco’s founder issuing a cold threat. “The company’s founder, Eric Umeofia, refused to budge, however, saying in a recent documentary on the local Arise Television channel that he won’t drop the lawsuit against Okoli and that he would ‘rather die than allow someone to tarnish my image I worked 40 years to grow.”