The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has intercepted a massive haul of fake medications and cosmetic products worth an estimated ₦3 billion at the Trade Fair Market in Lagos.
The enforcement action, carried out on Monday, led to the confiscation of more than 10 million doses of counterfeit items and the arrest of four individuals connected to the operation. Eight truckloads of illicit products were removed from a three-story building that was disguised as a spare parts warehouse.
According to NAFDAC’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Martins Iluyomade, the raid followed credible intelligence received on February 3 regarding a syndicate distributing fake pharmaceuticals and cosmetics in the market. Among the seized items were anti-malarial drugs, cerebral malaria injections, antibiotics, postinor, and anagin products, some of which had been banned in Nigeria for nearly 15 years due to safety concerns.
Dr. Iluyomade described the operation as “one of the agency’s largest seizures in recent memory,” noting that if the counterfeit drugs had reached consumers, they could have endangered the lives of millions.
“NAFDAC remains committed to safeguarding public health under the leadership of Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, and we will not relent in our fight against substandard and falsified products”, he said.
He urged distributors and retailers to source their products only from NAFDAC-registered manufacturers and warned the public to report any suspicious sales or production of regulated products to the nearest NAFDAC office.
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