In a decisive move against counterfeit pharmaceuticals, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has destroyed fake and substandard medicines valued at approximately one trillion naira. The large-scale operation, which took place in Awka, Anambra State, followed a month-long enforcement raid in Onitsha’s Ogbogwu Market and Aba, Abia State.
Among the items set ablaze at the ASWAMA dumpsite on Nibo Road, Awka, were expired drugs, unregistered and banned medications, and donated items illicitly put up for sale.
Addressing journalists at the destruction site, NAFDAC’s Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, represented by the agency’s South East Zonal Coordinator, Dr. Martins Iluyomade, lamented the hazardous conditions in which some of the confiscated drugs were stored. She cited instances where medicines intended for pregnant women and nursing mothers—requiring refrigeration—were instead found stashed in dangerously hot conditions.
Professor Adeyeye underscored the severe public health risks posed by these illicit drugs, linking them to Nigeria’s high maternal mortality rate and avoidable deaths. She further revealed that the sheer volume of narcotics, including tramadol, seized during the operation could have fueled widespread insecurity, emphasizing the critical role of illicit drugs in societal unrest.
“This is the largest drug destruction exercise ever conducted globally,” Dr. Iluyomade noted, reaffirming NAFDAC’s commitment to eliminating fake and substandard drugs from circulation. He assured Nigerians that the agency would sustain its rigorous enforcement to protect public health.
Speaking on behalf of the Anambra State Government, the Managing Director of the Anambra State Waste Management Agency (ASWAMA), Mr. Mike Ozoemena, highlighted the link between counterfeit drugs and insecurity, aligning the agency’s efforts with Governor Charles Soludo’s commitment to tackling crime and public health concerns.
The event was conducted under tight security, with officials from the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force, and the Nigerian Army in attendance.
