…Says fake medicines could ruin a nation, fuel banditry
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has seized and evacuated over 100 truckloads of substandard, falsified, expired, and banned medicines from three major drug markets Idumota (Lagos), Onitsha (Anambra), and Aba (Abia) as part of a sweeping enforcement operation.
- Advertisement -
The Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this during a press briefing on Friday, emphasizing the grave threat these illicit drugs pose to public health and national security. She warned that if these drugs had remained in circulation, they could have undermined the quality of life for millions of Nigerians.
“What we have found could ruin a nation. What we have found could destabilize a government. What we have found could reduce the quality of life of millions of Nigerians,” she stated.
According to Prof. Adeyeye, the enforcement operation concluded in Idumota and Aba on February 28, while Onitsha remained a hotspot until March 8. The total haul included: 27 truckloads of illicit drugs destroyed from Idumota; 80 truckloads of unregistered, banned medicines and narcotics seized from Aba and Onitsha; 14 truckloads removed from Osisioma warehouse in Aba; Four truckloads from Ariaria Road warehouse; and Ten truckloads seized directly from the Aba markets.
Prof. Adeyeye described Onitsha as a major hub for illegal drug sales, with 110 separate market lines dealing in pharmaceuticals. She detailed how warehouses were packed with medicines under extreme temperatures exceeding 40°C, causing them to degrade before reaching unsuspecting consumers.
“We knew through intelligence three or four years ago that something was going on there. When we arrived with our police officers, our staff barely escaped death,” she recounted.
The DG also revealed that NAFDAC officials had previously faced violent resistance, with some nearly losing their lives during past raids.
Prof. Adeyeye raised serious concerns about the impact of these drugs on the country’s youth and security situation.
“The narcotics we found could take away life from them and fuel banditry and terrorism,” she warned.
Among the major seizures in Onitsha were: 10 truckloads of tramadol from different market sections; Four truckloads of codeine syrup, despite its ban nearly seven years ago.
The NAFDAC boss stressed that the operation was not just about public health but also aimed at protecting legitimate businesses from counterfeit competition.
“If local manufacturers’ products are counterfeited, they cannot get their return on investment because fake drugs are being sold at cheaper prices,” she explained.
Prof. Adeyeye reaffirmed NAFDAC’s commitment to ensuring drug safety, fostering trade, and reducing the scourge of substandard and falsified medicines in Nigeria.
“NAFDAC is doing this first for public health, secondly to foster trade, and thirdly to reduce the scourge on our country,” she concluded.
NAFDAC has vowed to continue its crackdown on illegal drug markets across the country. The agency also urged Nigerians to be vigilant and report suspicious pharmaceutical activities to protect public health and safety.
