On Friday, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control raided hawker and illegal drug sales outlets in some areas of the Federal Capital Territory and Niger State, seizing unregistered goods worth N45 million.
The seizures were made at the Mararaba and Nyanya axis of the FCT and Suleja in Niger state during an enforcement operation by the Investigation and Enforcement team of NAFDAC.
The agency seized drugs worth N10 million from hawkers’ outlets in the FCT and N35 million worth of unregistered herbal products, drug enhancement pills, and sensitised drugs at Al-Nassar Islamic Herbal Medicine Store in Suleja, Nigeria State.
According to reports, the Suleja drugstore was sealed off, and the manager was taken into custody.
The agency also detained four vendors selling unregistered goods.
Speaking to newsmen at the end of the enforcement exercise, the Team Lead and Assitant Chief Regulatory Officer of the Federal Task Force, Investigation and Enforcement, NAFDAC, Umar Suleiman said, “As usual, we conduct surveillance most of the time before we carry out our operations, there was surveillance carried out at the shop in Suleja and they discovered they are selling many unregistered herbal products, and some are sensitised drugs with pornographic pictures which NAFDAC does not approve, and they are selling in bulks. It is like the seller is a dealer; with this, the retailers will not have access to the products.
“Also, monthly, we conduct raids twice or three times. On our raids in Nyanya and Mararaba, we want to confirm if those Baba Aisha products are still in the markets and those doing the adverts are not permitted.
“Most of the drugs seized are sex enhancers like night rockets, black diamonds, double rockets, AK 47, and many other herbal products.”
Suleiman said efforts are also ongoing to crack down on unregistered cosmetics, medical devices, detergents, and packaged water.
“We are concentrating on drugs now because of the effects of drugs, a lot of people use these drugs daily, and instead of people getting well, it aggravates their health challenges. It does not mean that we are not working on other products.
“If you go to most of the pharmaceutical shops and patent stores, you will see the level of compliance,” he added.
Also speaking, the Desk Officer, Investigation and Enforcement Unit of the Federal Task Force, NAFDAC, Embugushiki Godiya said the agency was satisfied with the seizures since its main concern was to ensure that illegal and fake products were out of circulation.
“This will be a warning to others who may be planning to engage in selling unwholesome products and we urge all well-meaning Nigerians not to patronise drug hawkers,” Godiya said.