The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has intercepted more than 10 million doses of counterfeit malaria medicines and cosmetic products valued at approximately N3 billion at the Trade Fair Market in Lagos.
The Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Dr Martin Iluyomade, disclosed this on Tuesday during a media briefing in Apapa.
Iluyomade, who also chairs the Federal Task Force on Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods, said the operation followed credible intelligence received by the agency on February 3.
He revealed that the seized items included fake anti-malaria tablets, injections used for the treatment of cerebral malaria, antibiotics, Postinor, and Analgin—an analgesic that has been banned in Nigeria for nearly 15 years—among other counterfeit pharmaceutical products.
According to him, eight truckloads of fake drugs and cosmetics were evacuated from a three-storey building that had been disguised as a spare parts warehouse.
Four suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure, while investigations are ongoing. Iluyomade described the raid as one of NAFDAC’s most significant breakthroughs in recent times.
He noted that counterfeiters were increasingly hiding fake medicines in unconventional locations, making detection more difficult for regulatory authorities.
Iluyomade added that many of the seized products were cloned to closely resemble original brands, making it challenging even for authorised manufacturers to differentiate them from genuine products.
He warned that the sheer volume of counterfeit medicines intercepted posed a serious public health risk, stressing that the products could have caused widespread harm if they had found their way into the market.
The NAFDAC official reaffirmed the agency’s commitment, under the leadership of its Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, to rid the country of fake and unwholesome products and safeguard public health.
He also urged major drug distributors to source medicines only from NAFDAC-accredited manufacturers and advised members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to the nearest NAFDAC office nationwide.
