Published Feb. 14, 2025
By Sam Kutos
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has seized over 10 trucks, each containing a 40-foot container filled with fake, expired, and substandard drugs at the Ogbo-Ogwu Bridge Head Market in Onitsha, Anambra State.
This discovery is part of an ongoing enforcement exercise aimed at curbing the distribution of counterfeit drugs in the region.
The operation, which began on Monday, has resulted in the confiscation of billions of naira worth of substandard and expired drugs.
NAFDAC officials revealed that the market has been a major hub for repackaging and revalidating expired drugs with fraudulent NAFDAC approval claims.
Some of the seized drugs were found to be banned, defective, and even recalled products, which pose serious health risks to consumers.
NAFDAC’s South East Zone Director, Dr. Martins Iluyomade, stated that the seized products, along with machines used for repackaging and altering expiry dates, would be transported to the agency’s control room for further inspection and eventual destruction.
“Many traders attempted to bribe our personnel, offering up to N135 million to halt the operation,” Dr. Iluyomade explained. “However, we remain resolute in our mission to sanitize the market and safeguard public health.”
The agency is also reviewing its laws to impose stricter penalties, including life imprisonment or the death penalty, for individuals involved in the production and distribution of dangerous pharmaceutical products.
While the operation has uncovered widespread illicit activity, some shops in the market passed inspection and were given a clean bill of health. One such shop owner, Chukwudi Ikem, expressed relief and gratitude, stating, “If NAFDAC had conducted this raid one or two years ago, I might not have escaped, as I was previously involved in selling fake drugs. But today, I am grateful that my shop has passed inspection.”
NAFDAC continues its crackdown in collaboration with security agencies and market leaders to ensure that counterfeit drugs are removed from circulation and that public health is protected.
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