NAFDAC destroys ‘fake products worth N120bn’ in six months

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says it destroyed N120 billion worth of fake products in six months.

In a statement on Sunday, Mojisola Adeyeye, NAFDAC director-general, said the agency has been mopping up falsified medicines, fake wines and drinks, and unwholesome food products across the country.

She said on December 11, the agency destroyed expired, unregistered drugs worth N11 billion in Ibadan, capital of Oyo state.

She added that in November, NAFDAC seized N300m worth of fake medicines during a raid of Tyre Village at the Trade Fair Complex in Lagos State.

“Officers of the Agency also burst counterfeit alcohol packaging centres and seized items worth N2billion in Lagos. This followed reports of illegal revalidation of expired alcoholic beverages at the Trade Fair Complex in Lagos,” the statement reads.

“The war against substandard and falsified medicines and unwholesome food and drinks moved to Nasarawa State where officers of the Agency, led by the Director of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT Directorate, Mr Kenneth Azikiwe stormed the Karu market situated at the border between FCT and Nasarawa State where bags of repackaged expired rice were confiscated by the Agency. Products worth about N5 billion were seized during the raid.

“Also, in Nasarawa state, the Agency sealed a factory and eight shops for packaging and distributing counterfeit rice, valued at approximately ₦5 billion. The operation, conducted on December 19, targeted a facility named Ninjur Ventures on Abacha Road, Karu.

“At Wuse and Garki markets in Abuja last Friday the agency confiscated over 1,600 bags of counterfeit rice worth about N5 billion where counterfeit rice was being repackaged in branded bags.

“Simultaneously, a total of 150 shops at Eziukwu Market in Aba, a suburb of Abia State, were shut down following an operation by the Agency.

“The Agency on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, also destroyed expired, unregistered, counterfeit, and smuggled products valued at ₦10,991,458,374.60.

“The destroyed items, collected from five states in the Southwest Zone (excluding Lagos) and Kwara State in the North Central Zone due to its proximity, were incinerated in Ibadan.

“In total, over N120bn worth of seized products were destroyed by the Agency in six months (July-December) in the six geo-political zones and FCT.”

She added that the agency would not rest on its oars until the “merchants of death are forced out of operation”.