The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control on Wednesday in Ibadan, Oyo State, began the destruction of fake products worth N43 billion.

The exercise tagged “Investigation and Enforcement, Lagos destruction of fake, expired, substandard and falsified drugs, medical devices and unwholesome regulated products” was carried out at Moniya dumpsite, Ibadan.

The NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Christianah Adeyeye, was represented by the agency’s Deputy Director, Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, Shaba Mohammed.

She said the products being destroyed comprised food additives, unsafe cosmetics, counterfeits and other expired NAFDAC regulated products.

These were seized by the agency from manufacturers, importers and distributors.

Mrs Adeyeye added that among the destroyed products were damaged and expired products voluntarily handed over by compliant companies, NGOs and trade unions, to the agency.

“The estimated street value of the products being destroyed is N43 billion; NAFDAC has been charged with the responsibility of ensuring that the health of the nation is safeguarded. As such, it is committed to eliminating medical products, illicit drugs, unwholesome foods, chemicals, medical devices, and other products. There were several hawkers’ raids carried out across various locations in Lagos. Several unregistered and registered pharmaceutical products were seized.

“The products seized comprise various aphrodisiacs and sex enhancement drugs. Some over-the-counter and prescription only medicines drugs were also found and seized from the hawkers. Over 30 wares were seized in total. Products peddled by these drug hawkers including banned codeine substances and narcotic drugs (e.g. Tramadol capsules), antimalarial, aphrodisiacs, analgesics and antibiotics worth over N48 million were confiscated,” she said.

She said the agency gathered intelligence on illegal warehousing, sale and distribution of Schedule 1 Narcotics by some pharmaceutical vendors in Lagos and other locations in the country.

Mrs Adeyeye added that Investigation and Enforcement of the agency raided some pharmaceutical warehouses and premises across the country to confiscate products worth over N700 million following discrete surveillance.

She said, “Some other products for destruction today are some products that were mopped up from circulation during the Investigation and Enforcement Directorate’s raids. These include illicit and unregistered pharmaceutical products, such as codeine syrup, expired tramadol, aphrodisiacs, antimalarials, and many other unregistered drugs. Other products are contraband soaps, tomato paste, unregistered and counterfeit drinks, food products, perfumes, and body sprays.’’

Mrs Adeyeye urged the public to join NAFDAC in the fight against counterfeit and fake drugs and unwholesome processed food and other NAFDAC regulated products.

This, she added, should be done by reporting unscrupulous manufacturers and businessmen who engage in illicit practices to the nearest NAFDAC Office for prompt investigation.

She said as part of the strategies to fight counterfeiting of regulated products in the country, the Federal Government directed the establishment of four coordinated wholesale centres across the country.

“The Kano CWC has taken off early this year as the flagship. The remaining ones, we are working round the clock to get them established before the end of the year. In furtherance of the anti-counterfeiting move, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate, is set for the inauguration of the Federal and State Task Forces on Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods at a date to be announced soon.

“I sincerely and openly appreciate the collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service for handing over several containers of unregistered, expired, substandard, falsified and unwholesome regulated products which will also be destroyed today,” Mrs Adeyeye said.

Also, the NAFDAC Deputy Director, Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, Aderemi Afolabi, remarked that the agency laid down procedures for all regulated products.

“Anyone who does not follow the procedure will have a problem with NAFDAC,” Mr Afolabi said.

Those at the destruction exercise included representatives of the police, Oyo State government, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Federal Inland Revenue Service and the Nigeria Customs Services among others.

(NAN)