The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) recently discovered and confiscated over 10 trucks at the Ogbo-Ogwu Bridge Head Market in Onitsha, Anambra State. These trucks were found to be carrying fake, expired, and falsified drugs during an enforcement exercise at the market.
The operation, which commenced on Monday, exposed the presence of adulterated, substandard, and expired drugs worth billions of naira in several shops. NAFDAC officials, led by Dr. Martins Iluyomade, Director of NAFDAC South East Zone, revealed that the seized trucks were being transported for further inspection and eventual destruction.
The agency uncovered that the market was being used for repackaging expired medicines with false claims, deceiving unsuspecting consumers. Various types of dangerous drugs, including expired, banned, substandard, defective, repackaged, and recalled products, were seized to prevent their reintroduction into the market.
Iluyomade mentioned that the agency detected fraudulent claims using scanning and detection machines and found drug dealers using machines to rebrand, repackage, and alter expiry dates of medicines. The operation, carried out in collaboration with security agencies and market leaders, aims to crackdown on counterfeit drug distribution and safeguard public health.
NAFDAC is considering stricter penalties, including life imprisonment or the death penalty, for those involved in producing and distributing dangerous pharmaceutical products. The agency’s commitment to eliminating substandard and falsified drugs in Nigeria was emphasized, with Iluyomade stating that over 90% of the investigated shops in the market were dealing in fake drugs.
Despite attempts by some individuals to obstruct the operation by offering bribes totaling N135 million, NAFDAC remained steadfast in its mission. The agency assured that the exercise is transparent and not intended to target specific individuals, with a few shops passing inspection and being commended as ambassadors for compliance.
One shop owner, Chukwudi Ikem, expressed gratitude for the operation, acknowledging the necessity of cleaning up the market from fake drug sales. Ikem highlighted a personal change of heart and appreciated that his shop was cleared of any wrongdoing.