NAFDAC Seizes 10 Million Doses of Fake Malaria Drugs, ₦3bn Cosmetics in Lagos
Lagos — The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has seized over 10 million doses of counterfeit malaria medicines and cosmetic products valued at about ₦3 billion at the Trade Fair Market in Lagos.
The Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Dr. Martin Iluyomade, disclosed this on Monday during a media briefing in Apapa. Iluyomade, who also serves as Chairman of the Federal Task Force on Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods, said the seizure followed credible intelligence received by the agency on February 3.
According to him, the confiscated items included fake anti-malaria drugs, injections used for treating cerebral malaria, antibiotics, emergency contraceptives such as Postinor, and Analgin—an analgesic that has been banned in Nigeria for nearly 15 years—among other counterfeit pharmaceutical products.
Iluyomade said eight truckloads of fake drugs and cosmetics were evacuated from a three-storey building that had been disguised as a spare parts warehouse, a tactic he described as part of increasingly sophisticated efforts by counterfeiters to evade detection.
Four suspects were arrested in connection with the operation, while investigations are ongoing to dismantle the wider distribution network. Iluyomade described the seizure as one of NAFDAC’s major breakthroughs in recent times.
He warned that the large volume of counterfeit medicines posed a serious public health risk and could have resulted in widespread harm if allowed into circulation. He added that many of the seized products were carefully cloned to resemble genuine brands, making it difficult even for authorised manufacturers to distinguish them from original products.
Reaffirming NAFDAC’s commitment to public safety under the leadership of Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Iluyomade said the agency would continue to intensify surveillance and enforcement actions nationwide.
He urged major drug distributors to source products only from NAFDAC-accredited manufacturers and advised members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to the nearest NAFDAC office
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