The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) destroyed expired, falsified, controlled, unregistered, and banned medicines worth an estimated N100 billion on Saturday.
The agency shared on its X handle on Sunday that the confiscated drugs were seized from the Idumota Open Drug Market in Lagos during a recent three-week enforcement operation.
“The destruction took place at the Lapite Dumpsite in Moniya, Ibadan, Oyo State, with the confiscated products valued at an estimated N100 billion,” the agency revealed.
NAFDAC also disclosed that several suspects were arrested during the operation, adding that those found culpable will face appropriate sanctions.
More Insight
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) sealed over 3,027 shops in Lagos’ Idumota Open Drug Market during the first week of its enforcement operations.
- A large-scale enforcement operation, which began on February 10, targeted major drug distribution hubs in these cities, aiming to rid Nigeria’s supply chain of dangerous pharmaceuticals.
- NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, confirmed that the enforcement operations led to the evacuation of 27 trucks of fake medicines from Lagos’ Idumota market.
- Prof. Adeyeye emphasized that this effort is critical to eliminating falsified and unregistered drugs from Nigeria’s pharmaceutical supply chain and protecting public health.
However, the agency has recently called for death penalties and life sentences for individuals involved in counterfeit and illicit drug peddling in Nigeria.
- Adeyeye made the call at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, stressing the importance of incorporating these severe penalties into the amendment of the Acts as a deterrent to drug crimes, which, she said, have led to the deaths of several innocent Nigerians, including children.
- She urged the National Assembly to expedite the amendment of the NAFDAC ACT NI LFN and Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods C34 ACT, stating that enforcing stricter punishments would strengthen regulatory efforts and prevent further loss of lives.
- NAFDAC’s enforcement teams also raided the Aba and Onitsha open drug market where they discovered illegal packaging and sales of unregistered and falsified drugs.
Among the seized items were counterfeit contraceptives such as Postinor-2, fake Ampiclox GSK sourced from India, Vega Plus 100, Claratem-QS, and Maloxine Tablets.
Additionally, officials uncovered hidden stocks of vaccines, including Yellow Fever, Dano Anti-Tetanus, Measles, and Diphtheria vaccines.
Other confiscated drugs included improperly stored Oxytocin for maternal health, unregistered narcotics, and counterfeit GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) medicines.
