The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has carried out a major raid at the Ogbo-Ogu Market, Bridge Head, Onitsha, Anambra State, seizing a large quantity of counterfeit and expired drugs.
The enforcement operation, led by NAFDAC’s South East Zone Director, Dr. Martins Iluyomade, aimed to rid the market of adulterated and banned pharmaceuticals that pose serious health risks to consumers. The agency worked closely with the market’s task force to identify and confiscate the illegal products.
Speaking after the raid, Dr. Iluyomade revealed that intelligence reports had shown that some traders were repackaging and rebranding fake drugs for sale to unsuspecting customers. “This market has been under surveillance, and we have discovered activities such as rebagging of counterfeit medicines and the sale of banned substances. This operation is part of our ongoing efforts to sanitize drug markets in the Southeast region,” he said.
Among the seized products were antibiotics, antihypertensives, antidiabetics, antimalarials, herbal medicines, and psychoactive drugs. Banned substances like high-dose tramadol, codeine, analgin, and illegally imported vaccines were also confiscated.
Dr. Iluyomade warned that consuming these substandard drugs could lead to severe health complications, including organ failure and death. He urged consumers to only purchase medicines from licensed pharmacies and registered drug outlets.
The raid, which was monitored by security operatives and NAFDAC’s enforcement team, also uncovered unwholesome food items, unregistered cosmetic products, and hazardous chemicals.
While the total value of the seized drugs is yet to be determined, NAFDAC assured that it will continue its crackdown on fake drug syndicates to protect public health. The agency called on market leaders and traders to cooperate in ensuring only genuine and approved medicines are sold in their markets.
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