NAFDAC seizes and demolishes counterfeit medicines worth N939m in Nigeria's South-East region

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) carried out a massive destruction of counterfeit and unwholesome drugs valued at over N939 million in the South-East region on Friday.

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This exercise took place at the Anambra State Waste Management dumpsite in Awka, where the agency demolished the harmful products, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

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Prof. Christianah Adeyeye, the Director General of NAFDAC, oversaw the operation, describing it as a bold move to eliminate substandard and falsified products from the market, thereby ensuring public safety.

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Adeyeye, who was represented by a Director in the agency's South-East branch, revealed that the destroyed items included expired medicines, substandard drugs, falsified pharmaceuticals, unregistered food products, medical equipment, and cosmetics.

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She emphasized that the presence of these hazardous products in the market posed a significant threat to public health, warning that consuming substandard or falsified medicines could lead to treatment failure, prolonged illness, drug resistance, disability, and even death.

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The total estimated street value of the destroyed products was N939,077,209, which had been seized by NAFDAC through its surveillance and enforcement operations across the South-East region.

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Some of the seized products were voluntarily surrendered by stakeholders, including members of the National Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers in Anambra and Enugu States.

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Adeyeye cautioned that unwholesome food products could expose consumers to food-borne illnesses and long-term health complications, while unsafe medical devices could compromise diagnosis and treatment, putting lives at risk.

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The agency's primary focus remains consumer safety, and Adeyeye advised Nigerians to purchase products from credible sources with NAFDAC registration numbers and report any suspicious activities to the agency.

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She also issued a stern warning to counterfeiters, illegal importers, and unscrupulous manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of substandard products, stating that their time is over and that NAFDAC will not tolerate any activities that endanger Nigerian lives.

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Adeyeye emphasized that the destruction of the counterfeit products is part of a coordinated national strategy, regularly carried out across the six geopolitical zones of the country, with the objective of protecting public health.

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The NAFDAC Director General commended sister agencies, including the Nigeria Police, the Nigeria Customs Service, and the Nigerian Army, for their support and called for further collaboration.

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Representatives from the Police, Federal Road Safety Corps, Department of State Services, Army, and the Director of Pharmaceutical Services in Anambra were present to witness the exercise.