The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has disclosed that counterfeit drugs and vaccines, cosmetics, and expired food items worth over N2 billion have been destroyed in Kano and Anambra States.
It stated that the agency’s operatives had combed the nooks and crannies of three geo-political zones, namely, North West, South East, and South-South, to mop up expired drugs and unwholesome food products with a view to safeguarding the health of the Nigerian people.
NAFDAC said that the decision to destroy the over N2 billion worth of items was part of the agency’s strategy to eradicate production and circulation of fake drugs and other spurious regulated products in the country.
A breakdown of the over N2 billion worth of goods showed that counterfeit drugs and spurious food products worth over N1.4 billion were seized from both the South-East and South-South zones were destroyed in Awka, Anambra State.
Also, dangerous drugs, and unwholesome food items worth N613 million were destroyed at the Kalebawa dumpsite along Kazaure-Daura road in Dambatta, Kano State.
Some of the food items include 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 Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, confirmed the destruction in a statement signed by the agency’s Resident Media Consultant, Sayo Akintola, and made available to newsmen yesterday.
Adeyeye said that there was no hiding place for the merchants of counterfeit items and others circulating expired and falsified drugs and food products that were inimical to Nigerians health.
The Director-General, who supervised the exercise added that the destruction was part of the efforts to rid Nigerian market of unwholesome products and engender public confidence.
Adeyeye, who was represented by Kingsley Ejiofor, the agency’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, listed the products destroyed to include substandard, fake, falsely labelled medicines, unwholesome processed food products and cosmetics seized from manufacturers, distributors, and importers.
According to her, the products include drugs such as antibiotics, antihypertensive, antimalarial, herbal remedies, psychoactive, controlled substance.
She said the expired drugs were also handed over voluntarily by compliant companies, non-governmental organisations, trade unions, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) and National Association of Proprietary and Patent Medicines Dealers (NAPPMED).
Adeyeye also explained that 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.
Describing diversion and falsification of medicines and vaccines as one and the same, she warned Nigerians to be vigilant and expose anyone who might want to divert COVID-19 vaccines donated by the international donors for profiteering purposes.
