The Red Palm Oil That Nearly Finished My Family Before Christmas

I don sell provisions for Agege Market 16 years. I sabi fake things. But this one wey I see last week, e shock me.

A woman bring bottle of palm oil come my shop. The red colour? Ah ah! Red pass fire. She say na the best. I open am, smell am. My nose tell me sharp sharp say something dey wrong. I pour small for my palm. The oil no dey thick like real palm oil. And the colour... e dey stain my hand like dye.

Na so dem dey do am now. Dem mix dye inside palm oil and pepper. For market, we dey call am 'Christmas colour.' Because na December dem dey sell am pass. My sister, if u buy palm oil wey red like lipstick, throway am. Your belle no be dustbin.

But wetin pain me pass? Na the woman wey bring am. She buy from one supplier for Mile 12, pay ₦8,500 for one keg. She think say she don buy original. She wan use am cook for her husband's family party. Oluwa o! If she cook that thing, person go land for hospital.

I tell her the truth. She start to cry. She say na her last money. I give her my own palm oil wey I buy from my trusted supplier. She no collect free. She insist say she go pay me small small.

My own be say: if u no sabi food, ask person wey sabi. No let anybody use u shine. Especially for December wen everybody wan impress family.

Who else don buy fake food for market before? Wetin happen?