•NAFDAC operatives on duty
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has inaugurated the Rivers State Task Force on “Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods” in the state.
A statement signed by the Public Relations Officer, South-South Zone, Cyril Monye, described the inauguration as renewed efforts by the agency to combat the incidents of counterfeit, fake drugs, and unwholesome processed foods in Rivers.
The task force comprised representatives of NAFDAC, Rivers State Ministry of Health, Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Police Force.
In her inaugural speech, the Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, who was represented by the Director, South-South Zone, Pharm. Chukwuma Oligbo urged Rivers to lead in confronting the threats posed by counterfeit medicines and unsafe packaged foods that endanger lives, undermine healthcare outcomes, distort markets, and impose a heavy burden through increased health costs and productivity.
She said the mandate of the taskforce was to “enforce standards, coordinate intelligence-driven surveillance, remove illegal products from circulation, and support legitimate manufacturers and traders by ensuring that compliant businesses are not undermined by counterfeiters and illegal operators.”
She said, “The Task Force brings together key regulatory, security, public health, and community stakeholders working in a unified structure to ensure strong enforcement.”
Adeyeye said that operationally, the task force would carry out coordinated market inspections, rapid testing where needed, and transparent reporting to both the Chairman of the Federal Task Force and citizens, “having access to hotlines, community forums, and online channels for reporting suspicious products”.
In his keynote address, the Chairman of the Federal Task Force on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods and NAFDAC Director of Enforcement and Investigation Directorate, Dr. Martins Iluyomade, who spoke through Zoom from Lagos, said that the task force derived its legality from an Act of the National Assembly.
He said the task force superseded any other teams of such nature that might be raised by the state in the future.
He mentioned the functions of the task force as seizing any drug or poison displayed for sale in any premises not duly licensed for such purpose.
He said, “With reasonable suspicion, the task force has the power to break into any facility and seize any counterfeit, fake, banned, or forged products or any regulated processed food, poison, and drug suspected to be fake and also seal up the premises if need be”.
The NAFDAC State Coordinator in Rivers State, Pharm. Emmanuel Onogwu said that the “task force would support compliance with national regulations to deter and disrupt illicit trade, protect consumers, and promote accountability across the supply chain.
The Rivers State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Chidinma Adaeze Oreh, who was represented by the Director of Pharmaceutical Services, Pharm Halliday Charles, deplored the menace of counterfeit, fake drugs and unwholesome processed food and the threat they posed to public health, patient safety, and the integrity of our health system.
She said: “These illegal activities undermine genuine healthcare providers, endanger lives, and erode public confidence in health services. As a government, we cannot and will not turn a blind eye to such a threat.”
The climax of the inauguration was the administration of the oath of office to members of the state Task Force by Barrister Jumbo Washington from the NAFDAC Enforcement Investigation Directorate, Asaba.
