The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has destroyed substandard, expired, and unwholesome products valued at over N15 billion at the Moniya dumpsite in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Speaking at the destruction ceremony, Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General of NAFDAC, emphasised that the exercise was crucial to prevent these dangerous items from re-entering the Nigerian supply chain and posing a risk to the health of the public.
Represented by Martins Iluyomade, NAFDAC’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Professor Adeyeye detailed the range of materials disposed of.
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These included numerous counterfeit, unregistered, banned, expired, and controlled medical items.
Specifically mentioned were high-risk pharmaceuticals like Analgin, Co-codamol, Tramadol, Oxytocin, cough syrups containing codeine, and various expired vaccines.
She revealed that the estimated street value exceeded N15 billion, which clearly illustrates the serious scope of the illegal drug trade operating in the country.
The DG highlighted recent enforcement actions, citing a case where NAFDAC officers intercepted a container falsely declared as Diclofenac but secretly loaded with 277 cartons, containing over 100,000 tablets, of smuggled anti-malaria drugs.
The individual connected to this illegal shipment has been arrested and will be prosecuted to send a strong message to others involved in the illicit importation and distribution of drugs.
Additionally, NAFDAC raided a military barracks in Lagos and confiscated a large quantity of illegally manufactured cosmetics and packaging materials.
She confirmed that some of the items destroyed were recovered during recent nationwide crackdowns that targeted unlicensed pharmaceutical outlets, black-market drug dealers, and counterfeiters operating outside regulatory control.
Adeyeye called upon community, religious, and health leaders, alongside journalists, to actively educate citizens about the severe dangers of purchasing medicine from unlicensed sellers.
She appealed for greater public involvement in the fight against substandard products, urging Nigerians to report any suspicious drug activities to fortify the nation’s regulatory framework and protect lives.
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She thanked the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for handing over more than 25 seized 40-foot containers of prohibited goods, including Tramadol, Artesunate injections, and frozen poultry.
She noted that their destruction was a major win against harmful substances.
She also acknowledged the valuable support received from the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force, the DSS, the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), and other collaborating agencies.
