The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and
Control (NAFDAC) has uncovered and seized a large cache of counterfeit drugs
and cosmetics during a raid in Apapa, Lagos.
The agency’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Dr
Martins Iluyomade, disclosed the development on Monday while briefing
journalists at NAFDAC’s Apapa office. He explained that the operation was
carried out after the agency received credible intelligence on February 3.
Iluyomade said the fake products included anti-malarial
medicines, injections for cerebral malaria, antibiotics, Postinor, and Anagin,
some of which have been prohibited in Nigeria for nearly 15 years. According to
him, the items were concealed in a three-storey building that was presented as
a spare parts warehouse.
During the raid, NAFDAC officials evacuated eight truckloads
of counterfeit drugs and cosmetics and arrested four suspects in connection
with the illegal operation. Investigations are still ongoing, with Iluyomade
describing the seizure as one of the agency’s most significant recent
breakthroughs.
He warned that if the counterfeit products had entered the
market, they could have posed serious health risks to as many as three million
Nigerians.
The director reaffirmed that NAFDAC, under the leadership of
its Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, remains resolute in its fight
against fake and substandard products across the country.
He also cautioned drug distributors to obtain supplies only
from manufacturers approved by NAFDAC and encouraged members of the public to
report any suspicious activities to the nearest NAFDAC office.
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