The personnel of the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) today raided the popular Ekumi Plaza in Ariaria International Market, Aba, uncovering contraband, fake, and unregistered medicines worth millions of naira.
NAFDAC aims to reduce substandard and falsified medicines to not more than 5% prevalence in Nigeria by 2025, compared to the current 10% global prevalence, reports The Nation.
Recently, NAFDAC also raided Eziukwu/Cemetery Market in Aba, confiscating fake and adulterated beverages worth millions.
Our correspondent gathered that on August 20, 2024, the EKUMI Plaza Patent Medicine Dealers Association (EPPMDA) handed over expired and fake medicines worth ₦50 million to NAFDAC for destruction as part of their commitment to sanitize the system and restore confidence in the local health sector.
However, investigations revealed that some traders continued their illicit business, posing a danger to the public.
NAFDAC, collaborating with sister agencies, conducted the raid leveraging the sit-at-home compliance by Aba residents.
Speaking to journalists, Pharmacist Omoyeni Babatunde, deputy director in-charge of investigation and enforcement, said the exercise was coordinated by Mr. Martin Iluyomade, following credible intelligence on the activities of the medicine dealers.
Babatunde described the discovery as mind-boggling and stated that the scope of their assignment was to search for all unregistered NAFDAC products in the market. Some seized products were banned during the late Dora Akunyili’s regime as NAFDAC DG.
The team plans to raid over 1,000 shops in the market, with the operation expected to continue throughout the week.
Although no arrests were made since the shop owners were not present during the raid, over 20 shops were sealed.
Some shop owners, speaking anonymously, acknowledged that some members were involved in the sale of unregistered medicines and regretted that the actions of a few would affect the entire market.
