•NAFDAC officials in the Lagos warehouse of fake drugs
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) yesterday in Lagos seized 277 cartons of counterfeit Malamal Forte malaria drugs, worth over ₦1.2 billion, during a raid on a warehouse in the Ilasa-Oshodi area.
The fake medicines, illegally imported from China and disguised in cartons labelled as Diclofenac Potassium, were intercepted as part of the agency’s nationwide crackdown on counterfeit products, reports Saturday Independent.
In a tweet announcing the seizure, NAFDAC disclosed: “We intercepted 277 cartons of counterfeit and unregistered Malamal Forte malaria drugs, valued at over ₦1.2 billion, in a warehouse in Ilasa-Oshodi, Lagos State.”
The agency further revealed that the fake drugs were illegally imported from Shanxi Tianyuan Pharmaceuticals Group in China and were “falsely declared as spare parts in the shipping container.”
Speaking on the development, NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, reaffirmed the agency’s resolve to safeguard public health.
“With the full support of the Presidency and Federal Ministry of Health, NAFDAC is committed to eliminating counterfeit and substandard medicines from Nigeria,” she said.
The agency added that the seizure is part of its sustained nationwide operation to ensure that only safe, quality medicines are available to Nigerians.
