NIGERIA: NAFDAC Uncovers Counterfeit Drugs Hidden In Plumbing Shops at Onitsha Market

By Ameenat Hamzat, Lagos, Nigeria

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has uncovered large quantities of prohibited drugs concealed within plumbing materials shops at the Onitsha Bridgehead Drug Market in Anambra State.

The market, recently shut down by regulatory and security agencies due to widespread allegations of illegal drug trade, was found to house unregistered narcotics, banned tramadol, and counterfeit medicines disguised within non-drug sections.

In a statement on its official X page on Saturday, NAFDAC confirmed that two trailer loads of illicit pharmaceuticals were seized during the operation.

The statement also reported that traders had accused the agency of unfairly targeting non-drug areas, but intelligence reports led officials to these hidden storage points.

NAFDAC also emphasized the need for increased security during the raid, recalling a violent attack on its officials and police officers during a similar enforcement exercise three years ago.

The agency acknowledged the crucial support of the National Security Adviser (NSA), stating that such operations would have been difficult without it.

The agency stated: “The ongoing exercise has uncovered illicit drugs worth billions of naira. The market functions as a hub for repackaging and revalidating expired medicines, which are then sold under false claims to unsuspecting consumers.”

Since enforcement efforts began over a week ago, NAFDAC has removed at least ten fully loaded 40-foot trucks of fake, substandard, and adulterated drugs – some fraudulently labeled with NAFDAC’s approval stamp.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, NAFDAC Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, visited the agency’s Enforcement Office in Apapa, Lagos, to inspect illicit pharmaceuticals confiscated from the Idumota Open Drug Market.

The agency’s warehouse was overflowing with seized drugs, some of which had to be stored in the Director’s office due to limited space.

While addressing the press, Prof. Adeyeye stated: “We are not disturbing trade; we are protecting lives. What NAFDAC is doing is exactly what it is mandated to do. There is no politics in this operation!”

She further noted that many of the busted shops were not registered with the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN), meaning their operations were illegal from the outset.

Defending NAFDAC’s intensified enforcement in Onitsha, Aba, and Idumota, she highlighted that over 1,000 personnel are actively working to remove counterfeit, expired, and unregistered medicines from circulation.