The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) raided Sahad stores, a popular supermarket in Abuja for selling counterfeit products on Thursday in Abuja.
They also raided H-Medix during which the agency discovered and seized counterfeit cosmetics, fake drugs were also confiscated at the Utako market.
The NAFDAC Head of Investigation and Enforcement/Federal Taskforce, FCT, Abuja, Embugushiki-Musa Godiya said the enforcement team had earlier raided the Kugbo market in Nyanya and Mararaba axis in Nasarawa State on Tuesday.
He told newsmen that the team equally raided Wuse Market on Wednesday, where goods worth millions were confiscated.
Godiya said that the three-day operation was carried out based on intelligent reports the agency gathered from well-meaning Nigerians.
“We have been able to successfully recover some of the counterfeit products, and evacuate them for destruction. Our concern is one of the products, is purported to be a NIVEA NAFDAC regulated product, but it is not.
“The most shocking to me is that such substandard NIVEA cream and other cosmetics are even more expensive than the ones approved by NAFDAC, this is criminal.
“The market value of what we have seen so far for drug hawking is N5 million, and for the NIVEA products, other cosmetics and other products including Jik bleach, Harpic toilet cleaner and Airwick room freshener, all counterfeit in large quantity, valued at N45 million.
“The total value of all the goods seized during the operation is N50 million”, the head of operations said.
He said such counterfeit products could cause cancer to the body, damage the kidney, and rashes.
He pleaded that the perpetrators of such acts desist from it, stressing that “NAFDAC enforcement will make sure it gets to the root of the syndicate that imports these products.”
He said the agency has zero tolerance for compromised standards, adding that
“NAFDAC will arrest whosoever is involved in this crime.”
He also urged Nigerians to be careful with the kind of products they buy, and always watch out for the NAFDAC registration number before any purchase.
Godiya also urged Nigerians to stop patronizing drug hawkers for their own well-being, saying “People must shine their eyes before they purchase any product.”
