National Telescope national telescope newspaper
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has launched a major operation at Ogbo-Ogu Market, Bridge Head, Onitsha, Anambra State, seizing large quantities of counterfeit and substandard drugs.
The enforcement, led by Dr Martins Iluyomade, NAFDAC’s Director for the South East Zone, targeted shops in the market selling adulterated, expired, and banned medications.
Dr Iluyomade explained that the operation was part of the agency’s efforts to eliminate fake, banned, and substandard products from circulation in Nigeria and protect the public from dangerous drugs.
He stated that the exercise was based on intelligence gathered over time about the prevalence of counterfeit drugs in the market.
He added, “The exercise is aimed at raiding the markets of fake and substandard drugs and those that are made up of spurious, counterfeited and falsified medicinal products, unwholesome processed products and several other unsafe regulated drugs.”
The NAFDAC-led team, supported by the market task force, found a range of drugs that were repackaged to imitate well-known brands, including antibiotics, anti-hypertensive, anti-diabetic, and anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as psychoactive substances and aphrodisiacs.
Also discovered were banned substances such as tramadol (above 100 mg), codeine, gentamycin, and vaccines. Iluyomade also highlighted the presence of unsafe beverages, cosmetics, and chemicals.
Iluyomade noted that some traders had been re-bagging counterfeit drugs into containers of original manufacturers to deceive consumers.
These illicit products, he stressed, could cause serious health risks, including death and permanent disability.
While he could not provide an exact monetary value of the seized products, he assured that the ongoing operation would continue until all illicit drugs were removed from the market.
He advised the public to only buy from licensed and registered drug outlets, emphasising that security and NAFDAC’s investigative team would remain on the ground to ensure the enforcement proceeds smoothly.
Representatives from various trade unions, market leaders, and other stakeholders were also present during the exercise, which was part of a coordinated operation across the South East.
