The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has destroyed falsified and counterfeit drugs, vaccines, cosmetics, and expired food items worth over N2 billion in Kano and Anambra states.
While counterfeit drugs and spurious food products worth over N1.4billion seized from both the South East and South-South zones were destroyed in Awka, Anambra state on Thursday, 11th March, similar dangerous drugs, and unwholesome food items worth N613m were destroyed at the Kalebawa dumpsite along Kazaure-Daura road, Dambatta, Kano.
The NAFDAC Director General, Mojisola Adeyeye in a statement by the Agency’s Resident Media Consultant, Sayo Akintola, on Sunday, listed the products to include substandard, fake, falsely labelled medicines, unwholesome processed food products and cosmetics seized from manufacturers, distributors, and importers.
According to the statement, the DG who was represented by Kingsley Ejiofor, the Director of Investigation and Enforcement at the public destruction of the goods, said the products include drugs such as antibiotics, antihypertensive, antimalarial, herbal remedies, psychoactive, controlled substance.
“Food products such as spaghetti, vegetable oil, non-alcoholic beverages, sachet water, Chocolates, Noodles, etc. were also destroyed as well as cosmetics such as creams, pomade, and insecticides’’, the statement quoted her saying.
According to the DG, the destruction of the dangerous products would eliminate the risk of their reintroduction into the market, noting that drug counterfeit is an act of economic sabotage and pose serious threat to public health.
She said that the products being destroyed could have had a devastating effect on the populace if not removed from the circulation, and commended the officers of the agency for their efforts in safeguarding the health of Nigerians and enjoined them not to relent in ensuring that counterfeiters are brought to book.
Adeyeye also disclosed that the expired drugs were also handed over voluntarily by complaint companies, Non-Governmental Organisations, Trade Unions, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria PSN and National Association of Proprietary and Patent Medicines Dealers NAPPMED.
She said others were those confiscated by Customs Service but violated, unregistered drugs, improperly stored vaccines, and tramadol, adding that
the list also included Rohypinol intercepted on Benin-Asaba Expressway and other fake medicinal products intercepted at different times.
The DG further disclosed that a warehouse of banned, controlled, fake and counterfeit products, worth millions of naira, had been discovered in Oyi Local Government of Anambra. The NAFDAC boss said that the items were awaiting destruction, pending the setting aside of a Court Order.
She said apart from seizures and destructions, the agency had been able to secure conviction of culprits, ranging from one year to five years and options of fine.
she again warmed Nigerians to be wary of possible infiltration of fake COVID-19 vaccines into the country and expose anyone who might want to divert COVID-19 vaccines donated by the international donors for profiteering purposes.
She also warned Nigerians to refrain from procuring the vaccines online to avoid falling into the wrong hands of merchants of death.
“The public must be on the look out for these spurious and counterfeit vaccines and other regulated products.
“henceforth, there is no hiding place for the merchants of death who derive joy in the unpatriotic act of circulating expired and falsified drugs and food products that are inimical to public health across the country”, she warned.
