NAFDAC Shuts Down 3,000 Shops, Seizes Fake Drugs In Abia, Anambra

National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has intensified its fight against counterfeit drugs, shutting down over 3,000 shops in Lagos and seizing 24 truckloads of fake medicines in Anambra and Abia states.

Director General Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye vowed to eliminate the illegal drug trade after uncovering massive warehouses stocked with expired medicines in Aba, Idumota, and Onitsha.

A major illegal drug depot was raided in Umumeje village, Abia, where expired medications were being repackaged and sold. Items confiscated included potassium chloride, allergy medications, cholesterol treatments, and equipment used to alter expiry dates.

In Onitsha, 14 truckloads of fake drugs were seized at Ogbo-Ogwu Bridge Head Market, while in Lagos, enforcement teams cleared 12 truckloads of illicit pharmaceuticals from the Idumota Open Drug Market. Authorities found vaccines stored in unsanitary conditions, banned injections, diverted HIV/AIDS drugs, and high-dose Tramadol and Codeine.

NAFDAC’s Southeast Zone Director, Mr. Martins Iluyomade, revealed that some of the confiscated drugs were stored in containers falsely labeled with NAFDAC approval.

“So far, we have confiscated no fewer than 14 trucks, each carrying a 40-foot container filled with fake, substandard, and adulterated drugs from the market. Some of these drugs even bear fraudulent NAFDAC approval claims. ‘We detected these fraudulent claims using our scanning and detection machines.’ The seized drugs include expired, banned, substandard, defective, repackaged, and recalled products.”

The head of NAFDAC clarified that the expanded enforcement effort is focused on the three key markets in Idumota, Onitsha, and Aba, which play a major role in the country’s pharmaceutical distribution.

“The goal is to stop the sale of counterfeit, substandard, expired, and rebranded drugs that pose significant health risks to Nigerians with a continued goal to safeguarding the health of Nigerians.”

Prof. Adeyeye reiterated NAFDAC’s commitment to protecting public health, stating that the crackdown in Lagos, Onitsha, and Aba would continue until Nigeria is free from counterfeit and substandard medicines.