NAFDAC uncovers depot for expired and fake drugs in Abia State 

In a statement on its X handle on Friday, NAFDAC revealed that the illegal operation was being run from multiple buildings near the Ariaria International Market.

The agency stated that expired medicines were repackaged and revalidated for resale, posing a significant health risk to consumers.

During the raid, officials confiscated large quantities of expired potassium chloride, allergy medications, immune boosters, and cholesterol treatments.

Machinery used to alter expiry dates and rebrand drugs was also discovered, indicating a sophisticated counterfeiting operation.

While some individuals were arrested during the raid, NAFDAC confirmed that the prime suspect remains on the run. The agency noted that despite attempts to contact him, he showed no concern for his detained family members.

The operation was conducted in collaboration with security agencies as part of the federal government’s crackdown on counterfeit medicines.

NAFDAC reaffirmed its commitment to eliminating substandard and falsified drugs in Nigeria, adding that it is currently reviewing its laws to impose stricter penalties on offenders.

NAFDAC’s ongoing crackdown on fake and substandard medicines recently led to the sealing of the Idumota open drug market in Lagos, along with the Ariaria drug market in Aba and the Onitsha drug market in Anambra.

The agency’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Mr. Shaba Mohammed, stated that the week-long enforcement exercise is happening simultaneously across the three markets, which serve as distribution hubs for over 80% of medications in Nigeria.

NAFDAC’s investigations also uncovered several illicit warehouses in Port Harcourt, where expired alcoholic beverages were being fraudulently re-labelled and reintroduced into the market.

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