The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control said its ongoing enforcement operations at the Idumota open drugs market in Lagos State will rid the country of counterfeit and substandard medicines.

Mr Shaba Mohammed, NAFDAC Director of Investigation and Enforcement, told journalists during enforcement on Tuesday that the market was sealed on Sunday.

He said it was sealed alongside the Ariaria drug market in Aba and the Onitsha drug market in Anambra State.

Mr Mohammed said the week-long enforcement held simultaneously in the three markets which are the hub of distributions of over 80 per cent of medication in the country.

Mr Mohammed said the operation was carried out to checkmate activities of traders who sold counterfeit, substandard, expired and rebranded drugs that are harmful to the health and wellbeing of Nigerians.

He said over 5,000 shops in the various markets which included warehouses and packing stores would be inspected in the ongoing operations to identify substandard medical products

He stated,  “Today’s operation is about substandard medical products in Nigeria market. On Sunday night, we sealed the three major open drug markets in the country – Idumota drug market, Onitsha drug market and Ariaria drug markets in Aba. We have all the securities- military, police, secret service and the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, along with NAFDAC staff working in these markets. Before now, we were involved in many investigations, and we go to these markets to seize products, but what we are doing this week is to ensure that we remove virtually all counterfeit products from these markets.’’

Shop owners were seen complying with the directives of NAFDAC officials who took turns to inspect their shops. Armed security agents were also on ground at the open drug market in Idumota to ensure a seamless exercise for officials of NAFDAC.

Seven fully loaded trucks of suspected falsified drugs, expired drugs, drugs with human parts pictures and others were confisticated.

(NAN)