Anambra: NAFDAC bust counterfeit drugs hidden inside building material shops

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Friday, busted several building materials and plumping shops housing substandard and counterfeit drugs at Onitsha drug market located at Bridge head market, Onitsha, Anambra state.

The agency, which began operation at the drug market since February 10, 2025 as part of ongoing efforts to sanitise the country of substandard and expired drugs due to its health implications to Nigerians, has already shifted over 10 trucks loaded with the unhealthy drugs.

Blueprint reporter who was part of the team on Friday, reported that during the exercise, traders were allowed to open their shops as well as observed as the agency inspected and recovered tons of drugs discovered to be illicit, fake and expired parked in their shops which they seized and loaded into two trucks ready for shifting.

It was also found that several shops, markets and commercial banks beside the drug market were transacting their businesses contrary to social media reports that genuine traders were prevented from engaging in transactions.

Addressing the media, the Director-General, NAFDAC, Professor Moji Adeyeye, represented by the agency’s director in South-east zone, Dr Martins Iluyomade, said they were surprised to discover that some traders turned building materials shops to warehouses for storing counterfeit drugs.

Adeyeye, who expressed displeasure that the most of the traders were denying not being aware of their colleagues dealing on the confiscated counterfeit drugs, assured the public that the exercise would be sustained with a view to safeguard lives of the people.

“We are not preventing genuine people from doing their businesses. We are not here to witch-hunt or inflict pains on the populace. We are only carrying out this national assignment across drug markets in Nigeria for the good of the whole nation. We don’t have to allow a few people to jeopardise the lives of others. We don’t want any casualty. Do not listen to the social media war orchestrated by some of the cartels to stop our good work,” she appealed.

Responding, the Chairman, Building Materials Traders Association, Chief Ejiofor Chikodi, who was supervising the exercise, said he was also surprised that their members were equally packing cartons of drugs in their shops.

On how to prevent it future occurrence, Chikodi said he had met with shop owners and other stakeholders of the market and it was resolved that henceforth anyone found in possession of counterfeit drugs in the market would pay a fine of ₦500,000, among other things.