Posted by Chinenye on Fri 24th Apr, 2026 - tori.ng
A viral video questioning the unusually long shelf life of bread has ignited a nationwide debate on food safety, corporate accountability, and consumer rights after Abuja shop owner Love Dooshima was briefly detained by police.
(Love Dooshima. Photo by Instagram)
Love Dooshima, a shop owner in Abuja, described her time in police jail after a video went viral in which she questioned the safety of a loaf of bread that supposedly stayed fresh on her shelf for almost two months. She said she will continue to advocate for truth.
She discussed the incident, her arrest, and the ongoing bread inquiry in a recent video that was released after her release.
The fight, which started a few days ago, has generated a lot of discussion in Nigeria on the use of preservatives and food safety.
Bon Bread, a bakery, filed a complaint, claiming that the video harmed its reputation, despite the fact that she did not name any brands. The business insisted that its goods are secure and adhere to legal standard.
The police invited Ms. Dooshima to be questioned at the Zone 7 Police Headquarters in Abuja after receiving the allegation. She accepted the offer on April 20 and was held for a few hours before being freed early the next day.
Experts also took notice of the controversy.
Bread normally has a short shelf life of two days without preservatives and up to two to three weeks with permitted additions, according to Christine Ikpeme, a professor of food science who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES.
A claim of bread lasting two months, she pointed out, would be quite uncommon and may indicate excessive or inappropriate usage of preservatives.
Since then, the case has sparked discussions about corporate responsibility, consumer rights, and the use of law enforcement in conflicts involving online evaluations and company reputations.
Ms. Dooshima refuted claims in the most recent video that she kept the bread to draw attention or because she didn't have any clients.
"As some people claim, I didn't keep that bread since I didn't have any clients. She said, "I didn't also keep that bread because I planned to study it," speculating that the circumstances might have been out of her control.
She also discussed the criticism she got on the internet, including remarks about her beauty and intentions.
"You are trying to help these same people, and they turn against you." she said, noting, however, that support from many Nigerians had given her strength.
Ms. Dooshima claimed that when she went to the police, she was treated like a criminal.
"My phone was confiscated, and I could not make calls freely," she said, adding that despite her statement, it appeared to have been improperly evaluated.
She claimed that when she refused to deliver the bread, which she regarded as crucial evidence for her defense, tensions increased.
She claims that after refusing to provide it over, she was then placed under arrest.
Custodial experience
Ms. Dooshima detailed the challenging circumstances in the prison, such as inadequate ventilation and being near mosquito coils.
She claimed that after bringing up health issues like claustrophobia and hypertension, she was nonetheless detained in the cell.
She added that she was eventually freed after a few hours, saying, "At one point, I thought I would not make it."
The store owner criticized what she called the public's lack of faith in institutions, claiming that this leads to people using "jungle justice."
"People don't think that if they follow due process, they will get justice; the system has failed us," she stated.
She called on authorities to rebuild trust in public institutions.
According to Ms. Dooshima, she has reported the issue to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and is awaiting the results of their inquiry.
She emphasized that her actions were intended to raise concerns about food safety rather than to attack any particular brand.
She said, "We will come out and tell the public if the results show the bread is safe."