The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has impounded 10 trucks loaded with fake, expired, and falsified drugs at the Ogbo-Ogwu Bridge Head Market in Onitsha, Anambra State.
This seizure is part of an ongoing enforcement operation aimed at dismantling the illicit drug trade in the market, which NAFDAC has identified as a major hub for the repackaging and revalidation of expired medicines.
On the fifth day of the operation, Dr. Martins Iluyomade, the Director of NAFDAC’s South-East Zone, stated that the seized trucks would be transferred to the agency’s control room for further inspection before their destruction.
“We have confiscated no fewer than 10 fully loaded 40-foot container trucks carrying fake, substandard, and adulterated drugs. Some of these products falsely claim NAFDAC approval, but our detecting machines and scanners helped us identify them,” Iluyomade said.The intercepted drugs included expired, banned, and substandard products, posing severe health risks to consumers.
The drugs seized are highly dangerous and could lead to death or permanent disability. Their removal from circulation is a crucial step in protecting public health and reinforcing NAFDAC’s commitment to consumer safety.
Dr. Iluyomade further disclosed that several individuals were arrested during the raid, and NAFDAC officials rejected a N135 million bribe allegedly offered to halt the operation. He noted that over 90 percent of the shops investigated in the market were found to be dealing in fake, substandard, repackaged, and counterfeit drugs.
The agency reaffirmed its commitment to eliminating counterfeit drugs and ensuring that only safe, regulated medications are available to the public.
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