Maria Abdulkadir, the CEO and founder of Bon Bread, has provided an explanation for the company’s choice to file a lawsuit against a TikTok user who questioned the safety of a loaf that was purportedly kept fresh for two months in a widely shared video.
ENigeria Newspaper gather that, according to a video that was uploaded to the company’s Instagram page on Friday, the company has decided to take legal action after its attempts to contact the content producer and confirm the claims were apparently unsuccessful.
Maria said, “I made a call to her because I wanted to understand where she got the bread from and how it could have lasted two months as she claimed.
“But she shut me out. I also noticed that people in her comment section were already linking the video to Bon Bread, and she engaged some of those comments.”
Abdulkadir insisted that the company was incorrectly linked to the allegation, arguing that the bread could not stay fresh for such a long time. As a result, Maria clarified that the purpose of the lawsuit was to force the content creator to provide proof of her claims rather than to frighten her.
“We simply ask that the public not take everything seen on social media as fact. Behind this brand are real people and livelihoods that have been affected by these claims,” Abdulkadir said.
“We believe in freedom of speech and respect everyone’s right to express opinions. However, we stand firmly behind the safety and quality of our product. Our bread is freshly baked and typically does not last beyond a few days without preservatives.”
What video did Bon Bread react to?
Bon Bread reacted to a video in which “Love,” a TikTok user, uploaded a video in which she voiced her concerns about the extraordinarily lengthy shelf life of a loaf of bread that, according to her, remained unspoiled two months after purchase.
In a follow-up video, she claimed that Bon Bread had served her with a N50 million lawsuit. She added that even though she didn’t include a corporate name or emblem in the video, the brand nevertheless filed a lawsuit.
“You remember the video I made three days ago about the bread that has stayed for two months in my shop without going bad? I was very intentional in that video; I didn’t mention any brand, I didn’t show their logo. The next day, Bon Bread sent me a message in my DM. They sent their solicitors to serve me this letter.”
At the time of this ENigeria Newspaper report, neither Bon Bread nor any regulatory body had released any additional public statements on the subject.
The Chief Executive Officer and founder of Bon Bread, Maria Umeagwukadilo, also released a video in which she decried a customer’s effort to tarnish a brand image that has been built for years.
“Hello everyone, my name is Maria Umeagwukadilo and I am the CEO and founder of Bon bread. I started this business in 2006. Actually this year makes it 20 years that I have been running Bon bread. I am a mother of two. I started Bon bread when my life was at its lowest, at times I couldn’t even pay my house rent.
“Over the years Bon bread grew from three number of staff to 80 staff strength today and more than a hundred extended staff workers. Over the years I have struggled.
“It pains me that after putting in 20 years of hard work, somebody on social media with a two-minute clip will cause so much damage.’
“From day one I have always ensured that my products meet the standard that is recommended by NAFDAC, by SON and all regulatory bodies. I continually strive for freshness.
“In fact, my business is one of the few bakeries that does not produce bread to be sold. We produce bread by order, which means we produce every day only the bread that has been ordered.
“Having explained thus far, on Monday my attention was drawn to a click on social media. Sorry I am analogue. I don’t know much about social media but yes I have people, I have young people in my life”, she said.
