The National Agency For Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has said that it destroyed fake, expired, substandard drugs worth N4.7 billion in Rivers.

The director-general of NAFDAC, Christiana Adeyeye, made the remark during the destruction exercise at the Rivers state dump site in Port Harcourt on Friday.

Mrs Adeyeye, represented by Chukwuma Oligbu, the NAFDAC director, South-South zone, explained that the products were all seized from the six states of the South-South region.

The states are Rivers, Bayelsa. Edo, Delta, Akwa Ibom and Cross River.

She stated that the investigation, enforcement and destruction exercise was an unwavering resolve and commitment of the agency to protect the lives of the people.

According to her, the destruction of these harmful products was not just a routine exercise.

“It is a firm statement of our unwavering resolve and commitment to protect the lives of the people from the dangers of counterfeit and substandard medicines, unwholesome food, medical devices and other hazardous regulated products.

“These products, if allowed to circulate, could cause untold harm including treatment failures, drug resistance, prolonged illnesses, and even loss of lives,” she said..

Mrs Adeyeye explained that the products destroyed were made up of substandard and falsified medical products, unwholesome processed food products and food additives, unsafe cosmetics counterfeits.

She mentioned others as expired NAFDAC regulated products seized by the agency from manufacturers, importers and distributors.

According to the DG, some damaged and expired products were voluntarily handed over to the agency by compliant companies, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Association of Community Pharmacists (ACPN) and Trade Unions.

She stated that the feat was achieved through intelligence gathering in July 2024, adding that the estimated street value of the destroyed products was N4.7 billion.

Mrs Adeyeye said that the agency discovered several warehouses in Port Harcourt where some alcoholic beverages were being re-validated and re-introduced into circulation.

“After a properly coordinated surveillance, the warehouses were raided and products confiscated.

‘’Also, through this operation, a warehouse of unregistered cosmetic products was raided and products worth several millions of naira were confiscated.

“Seized unregistered imported vegetable oil without Vitamin A fortification and assorted unregistered cosmetic products from Delta state were also among the products destroyed,” she explained.

She acknowledged that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in Edo state handed over two 40ft containers of various pharmacological classes of unregistered and substandard drugs which was part of the items destroyed.

The DG commended the sister agencies who assisted NAFDAC in the feat for their unflinching support in the fight against substandard and falsified medicines and harmful products.

The agencies included Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), State Security Service (SSS), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC),

She also recognised the assistance of Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) and the media, assuring the agency’s commitment to protect the public from the harm of such products.

Mrs Adeyeye called on all stakeholders including health professionals, law enforcement agencies, industry players and the general public to support the fight by reporting suspicious activities and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.

The dignitaries present at the occasion were the commander of narcotics, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the Comptroller, Nigeria Customs Service Eastern Marine Command.

Others include, the deputy commander, NSCDC; the Rivers chairman, Association of Community Pharmacists; the sole administrator, RIWAMA; the State Fire Service, and the coordinators of NAFDAC, South-South zone.

(NAN)