The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has confiscated more than 10 million doses of fake malaria drugs and cosmetic products valued at about N3 billion at the Trade Fair Market in Lagos.
This is according to a statement by the agency following an enforcement operation carried out in the area.
The seizure comes amid renewed efforts by NAFDAC to curb the circulation of counterfeit and banned pharmaceutical products that pose serious risks to public health.
What NAFDAC said
According to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, the operation was carried out after the agency received credible intelligence on February 3 about the storage of fake drugs in the market.
Dr Martin Iluyomade, NAFDAC’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, disclosed the development to journalists on Monday at the agency’s office in Apapa, Lagos.
- “The fake drugs discovered included anti-malaria drugs and injections for cerebral malaria, antibiotics, Postinor and Analgin products that have been banned for almost 15 years in the country, among others,” Iluyomade said.
He added that eight truckloads of fake drugs and cosmetic products were evacuated from a three-storey building that was disguised as a spare parts warehouse.
Backstory
Iluyomade said the warehouse was uncovered during a targeted operation based on intelligence reports, describing the discovery as one of the agency’s most significant breakthroughs in recent times.
- “What we saw in the warehouse is one of the major discoveries by the agency of late. They have perfected the act of hiding drugs in unconventional places that you don’t expect to find such products,” he said.
According to him, the medicines were stored in alarming quantities, including life-saving drugs and products that had long been banned by NAFDAC.
- “These medicines were packed in alarming numbers inside this warehouse, different types, life-saving drugs that are very important and banned products that have been prohibited for years by NAFDAC,” he said.
More insights
The NAFDAC director confirmed that four individuals had been arrested in connection with the operation, adding that investigations were still ongoing identify other members of the syndicate behind the illegal trade.
Iluyomade revealed that many of the seized drugs were cloned, making it difficult even for authorised manufacturers to distinguish between genuine and fake products.
- “These drugs were cloned, and it was quite difficult for the authorised manufacturers to identify the original and fake drugs, which was quite disturbing,” he said.
- “This is not a major breakthrough for NAFDAC alone but for Nigerians, because what we seized from the warehouse can kill three million Nigerians if it enters the markets,” Iluyomade said.
He assured that the NAFDAC team, led by Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, would not relent in its efforts to rid the country of fake and unwholesome products.
What you should know
Nigeria’s drug regulator has been stepping up its enforcement actions against counterfeit, substandard and banned products across the country in recent years.
- In one major operation in Lagos, NAFDAC intercepted counterfeit malaria medicines valued at over N1.2 billion hidden in a warehouse, with the fake drugs illegally imported and disguised as other goods before being seized by agency operatives.
- Beyond Lagos, NAFDAC has also taken custody of large consignments of counterfeit pharmaceutical products handed over by the Nigeria Customs Service valued at over N9.23 billion, reflecting the scale of illicit imports and enforcement efforts.
In Port Harcourt, the agency intercepted 16 containers of fake and banned regulated products worth an estimated N20.5 billion, including unregistered and substandard medicines, as part of ongoing operations targeting dangerous products at ports and markets.
NAFDAC has also destroyed unwholesome and expired medical products valued at more than N15 billion in Ibadan, removing falsified and harmful drugs from circulation to protect public health.
