- In a major operation, authorities shut down the Onitsha Bridgehead Drug Market over alleged sales of illegal medicines.
The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Mojisola Adeyeye, has said there is no political influence in its recent actions against illegal pharmaceuticals.
During a visit to Lagos on Saturday, Adeyeye emphasised that the agency is solely fulfilling its responsibility to protect the health and well-being of Nigerians.
Her visit came after officials seized large quantities of illicit pharmaceuticals, including Cocodamol and falsified GSK Ampiclox, from the Idumota Open Drug Market in Lagos.
Authorities also uncovered banned, expired, and unregistered products—some of which are classified as controlled substances and pose significant risks to public health.
Speaking to journalists after inspecting the confiscated drugs, Adeyeye reaffirmed that the agency’s actions align strictly with its legal mandate.
“We’re protecting lives. What NAFDAC is doing is exactly what it is mandated to do. There is no politics in this operation,” she said.
She further highlighted that many traders in these markets operate without proper registration from the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN).
Adeyeye disclosed that more than 1,000 NAFDAC officials are currently engaged in efforts to eliminate counterfeit, expired, and unregistered drugs from the market.
NAFDAC has recently ramped up enforcement activities, conducting similar large-scale raids in Onitsha, Anambra State, and Aba, Abia State.
In a significant crackdown, authorities sealed off the Onitsha Bridgehead Drug Market due to allegations of illegal pharmaceutical sales.
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