- Safiu Kehinde
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raided hawkers and peddlers of fake and unregistered pharmaceutical products, seizing unwholesome products and other regulated items.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the agency on Tuesday.
According to the statement, the raids were carried out in Lagos, Kaduna, Abuja, and Asaba, where drug hawkers sold fake, expired, and unapproved products.
The seized products were valued at over N110 million, underscoring the scale of the illegal trade.
Items confiscated included aphrodisiacs, oxytocins, narcotic analgesics, tramadol, morphine, sex-enhancement drugs, antibiotics, painkillers, and other unsafe pharmaceutical products.
The agency disclosed that more than 15 individuals were arrested and detained during the raids, pending completion of interrogation and further investigations.
Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, NAFDAC Director-General, warned that distribution and sale of medicines in unapproved places is prohibited, stressing that violators would face heavy sanctions.
She urged Nigerians to desist from patronising hawkers and peddlers, stressing that NAFDAC would not relent until all offenders are brought to book.
Adeyeye reaffirmed NAFDAC’s commitment to ensuring the safety and quality of foods, medicines, and other regulated products available to the public.