NAFDAC seals 3,000 shops, seizes 14 trucks of fake drugs

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has intensified its crackdown on counterfeit medicines, sealing 3,000 shops in Lagos and seizing 14 truckloads of fake and expired drugs in Aba, Onitsha, and other locations.

NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, declared that “enough is enough” as operatives uncovered two major warehouses stocked with falsified medicines in Aba over the weekend.

According to a statement by the resident media consultant, Sayo Akintola, the agency also raided a massive operation depot at Umumeje village, Osisioma Ngwa, where expired drugs were repackaged and revalidated for resale.

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During the raids in Aba, NAFDAC operatives, working with a joint security team, discovered machines used to alter expiry dates on medications. Seized items included expired potassium chloride, allergy medications, immune boosters, and cholesterol treatments. Several suspects were arrested, but the prime suspect remains at large.

In Onitsha, enforcement officers uncovered and seized 14 truckloads of counterfeit drugs at the Ogbo-Ogwu Bridge Head Market. Investigations revealed that the market serves as a hub for repackaging and selling fake medicines with fraudulent NAFDAC approval claims.

NAFDAC’s Southeast Director, Martins Iluyomade, confirmed that many of the seized products were banned, substandard, or rebranded with fake approval stamps. “We detected these fraudulent claims using our scanning and detection machines,” he said.

In Lagos, NAFDAC said it targeted 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.

“In the first week of the enforcement operation, NAFDAC screened and sealed over 3,000 shops inside the Open Drug Market, Idumota, in Lagos. Items discovered were vaccines in dilapidated, unventilated rooms sealed with iron sheets in a very filthy environment.

“Others were banned products, including a large consignment of banned Analgin injections, diverted free HIV and retroviral drugs, expired drugs kept for revalidation, and unregistered drugs. The agency was able to evacuate illicit pharmaceuticals equivalent to 12 trucks,” the statement read in part.

Adeyeye insisted that NAFDAC will not relent until counterfeit drugs are completely eradicated from major markets.
“We shall not look away while a few disgruntled elements in society continue to kill unsuspecting consumers through substandard and falsified medicines,” she stated.