In a sweeping nationwide operation, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has sealed 3,000 shops in Lagos and seized 14 truckloads of counterfeit and expired drugs in Aba, Onitsha, and other key locations......CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE>>>>>
The agency’s intensified crackdown aims to rid the country of substandard and falsified medicines that endanger public health.
NAFDAC operatives, in collaboration with a joint security team, uncovered two large warehouses in Aba stocked with falsified medicines. During the raids, officials discovered machines used to alter expiration dates on medications, alongside expired potassium chloride, allergy medications, immune boosters, and cholesterol treatments. Several suspects were arrested, though the prime suspect remains at large.
In Onitsha, enforcement officers seized 14 truckloads of counterfeit drugs at the Ogbo-Ogwu Bridge Head Market, a notorious hub for repackaging and distributing fake medicines. Investigations revealed that the market was a central point for fraudulent NAFDAC approval claims on substandard products.
Martins Iluyomade, NAFDAC’s Southeast Director, confirmed that many of the seized items were either banned, substandard, or rebranded with fake approval stamps. “Our scanning and detection machines were instrumental in identifying these fraudulent claims,” he said.
In Lagos, NAFDAC focused on major distributors suspected of supplying fake drugs to pharmacies and hospitals. Over 3,000 shops in the Open Drug Market, Idumota, were screened and sealed. Among the discoveries were vaccines stored in dilapidated, unventilated rooms, banned Analgin injections, diverted HIV and retroviral drugs, expired medications awaiting revalidation, and unregistered pharmaceuticals. The agency evacuated illicit drugs equivalent to 12 truckloads.
NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, declared that the agency will not relent until counterfeit drugs are eradicated from major markets. “Enough is enough, we will not look away while a few disgruntled elements in society continue to kill unsuspecting consumers through substandard and falsified medicines.”
The raids underscore NAFDAC’s commitment to safeguarding public health and ensuring that only safe, quality medicines reach consumers. The agency has urged the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities related to counterfeit drugs.