The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control has promised “hard times” to producers of adulterated beverages following the arrest of one Anthony Chidi inside the Mile 3 Market in the Diobu area of Port Harcourt, the state capital.

The Public Relations Officer, South-South Zone, NAFDAC, Cyril Monye, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

Monye said the man aged 52 was caught inside the popular market washing used bottles of various brands of alcoholic beverages.

Speaking earlier, Director, NAFDAC South-South Zone, Chukwuma Oligbu, reiterated the agency’s commitment to clamping down on perpetrators of such illicit acts.

Oligbu said, “Hard hard times await those still involved in the illicit production of NAFDAC regulated products.”

He therefore warned those still involved in adulterating registered products to give up the illegal practice or according to him, “be prepared to go to jail.”

Monye, in the statement, said the man was caught “inside a dirty shop washing used bottles of various beverages he used in producing the unwholesome drinks and sells to unsuspecting members of the public.

“Items found in the shop include dirty empty bottles of different brands of local and foreign alcoholic beverages, gallons/jars of ethanol, washed empty bottles, cocks, packaging materials, various brands of already packaged drinks, funnel fitted with filters etc.”

The agency quoted the suspect as revealing when he started the business saying, “Chidi said he started the illicit business about a year ago, having relocated from Aba in Abia State where he mastered the trade.

“And that he also gets the labels and packaging materials from Aba while he buys the used bottles within Port Harcourt.”

The statement further said the shop was evacuated and everything inside moved to the NAFDAC office while the suspect would be handed over to its Enforcement and Investigation Directorate for further investigation and prosecution.

The director-general of the National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, has raised the alarm over threats to her life and the safety of agency staff, calling on authorities to protect them as they navigate hazardous conditions in their duties.

She also advocated for the death penalty for those involved in the production and sale of fake and counterfeit drugs in Nigeria.

On Wednesday at a State House briefing at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Prof Adeyeye disclosed that NAFDAC had recently seized illicit drugs worth over N1 trillion in an ongoing crackdown against substandard and fake pharmaceutical products.

The NAFDAC boss revealed that the agency’s intensified enforcement efforts had seized 87 truckloads of banned, expired, and substandard medical products. Among the confiscated items were USAID- and UNFPA-donated antiretroviral drugs, male and female condoms, and other compromised medical supplies.

She described the large-scale operation, which targeted Nigeria’s three major open drug markets, as the biggest in NAFDAC’s history. The operation was executed in Ariaria and Eziukwu Markets (Aba, Abia State), Bridge Head Market (Onitsha, Anambra State), and Idumota Drug Market (Lagos State).

Prof Adeyeye estimated that the value of the seized items was at least N1 trillion but noted that further assessment could reveal a higher figure.

The NAFDAC DG recounted how staff members had faced kidnapping attempts and physical threats due to their work.

“I told you about the attempted murder about six months ago. One of our staff members in Kano had his child kidnapped because he was doing his job. Fortunately, the child escaped,” she revealed.

“I have two policemen living in my house 24/7 in Abuja and Lagos. I don’t have a life. I can’t go anywhere without police escorts. That’s not my way of living, but I don’t have a choice because we must save our country. Nonetheless, I also use common sense.”

Prof Adeyeye emphasised the need for stricter punishments, including the death penalty, for those endangering lives through fake drugs.

She urged the Nigerian government to implement stronger laws to curb the life-threatening trade of counterfeit pharmaceuticals.

NAFDAC continues to intensify its enforcement nationwide to protect public health and restore confidence in Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control on Wednesday said it seized 87 truckloads of banned, expired and substandard medicinal products, including USAID and UNFPA-donated antiretroviral drugs, male and female condoms, among others.

NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, who revealed this on Wednesday, added that counterfeiters were after her life and those of her workers.

Adeyeye, who briefed State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, said, “I told you about the attempted murder about six months ago. One of our staff members in Kano had his child kidnapped because he was doing his job. Fortunately, the child escaped.

“For me, I have two policemen living in my house 24/7 in Abuja and Lagos. I don’t have a life.

“I can’t go anywhere without police escorts. That’s not my way of living, but I don’t have a choice because we must save our country. Nonetheless, I also use common sense.”

NAFDAC is currently on a nationwide crackdown on illicit drug trade, which saw it raiding the country’s three major open drug markets of Ariaria and Eziukwu in Aba, Bridge Head Market in Onitsha and Idumota Drug Market in Lagos.

The campaign is part of NAFDAC’s National Action Plan 2.0 (2023-2027) to eliminate counterfeit medicines, improve regulatory compliance and safeguard public health.

She affirmed that the operation uncovered shocking violations of drug storage and distribution regulations, including diverted donated medical supplies, large quantities of USAID and UNFPA-donated antiretroviral drugs and condoms meant to support Nigeria’s HIV/AIDS response were found expired and repackaged for sale.

These life-saving medications, she added, were either improperly stored or deliberately resold for profit, undermining global efforts to combat HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.

While the integrity and legality of some of the products were not in question, the storage environment was harsh and could denature the products, she explained.

“Some of the products (seized) are large quantities of donated antiretroviral drugs, expired female, and male condoms by USAID, UNFPA.

“Large quantities of pharmaceutical products, including vaccines, prescription-only medicines, etc. These products were discovered stacked in toilets, under the staircase, and on the rooftop at very high temperatures without consideration for cold chain storage requirements.

“Oxytocin injection and several thermolabile products stored under extremely hot temperatures, enough to denature any genuine pharmaceuticals.

“The problem is not only about the originality of the products but about the environment and storage. Products recommended to be stored at -8°C, -2°C to 8°C were found in this environment,” she noted.

Among the discovered goods were large quantities of controlled drugs such as TAFRADOL (recently banned in India after BBC undercover exposure of the company manufacturing and exporting various illicit drugs to Africa, including Nigeria), Tramadol, Flunitrazepam (Rohypnol), Nitrazepam and Diazepam.

“The volume of narcotics and controlled substances seized from each of these locations is enough to destabilise the country security-wise,” she added, saying the agency also found vast quantities of banned, unregistered, expired products in the plumbing and wood plank sections of the Head Bridge.

“Warehouses filled to the brim with such drugs listed above, without windows, and where the temperature could be as high as 40°C, a high potential for chemical degradation of the products into less effective and toxic degradants,” the NAFDAC DG explained.

Adeyeye, who described the operation as the agency’s most significant in history, put the value of drugs seized at N1tn, saying post-assessment figures could be much higher.

“It is N1tn. It may be an underestimation for now, but when we finish the operation, we will have a good idea,” she clarified.

Commencing on February 9, 2025, it involved 1,100 security operatives, including military personnel, police, and Department of State Services agents.

According to her, the security forces cordoned off the markets to prevent traders from concealing or smuggling illegal products. So far, 40 arrests have been made, with suspects facing prosecution.

“During this exercise, NAFDAC succeeded in removing from circulation 87 truckloads of banned, expired, unregistered, suspected falsified and substandard medical products from the three markets removed from over 7,000 shops screened as of today, February 26, 2025.

“A database of these shops and the offences committed has been created for further steps. More than 40 arrests have been made, which will be followed by prosecution,” Adeyeye said.

She explained further details of the operation, saying: “The screening of shops ended on Tuesday, February 25, in Idumota and Aba as shops with non-violative or non-NAFDAC regulated products are being reopened. Owners of such shops are being asked to sign undertakings agreeing to relocate to the designated Coordinated Wholesale Centre on completion.

“Meanwhile, the operation continues in Onitsha Head Bridge until next week, when a similar process of opening the shops to non-violative shop owners and charging the violative ones accordingly will commence.

“After the operation, NAFDAC and the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria plan the relocation of these markets within the next one year to the scheduled Coordinated Wholesale Centres. There will be six such CWCs across the country, representing one per geopolitical zone.”

The anti-drug chief said her efforts had put her and her staff members in the line of assassins’ fire.

She called on security agencies to protect them amid hazards as she advocated the death penalty for those producing and selling fake drugs in the country.

The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has decried threats to her life and the safety of agency staff.

She urged authorities to provide them with better protection.

Speaking at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday, Adeyeye disclosed that NAFDAC officials face constant danger while cracking down on fake and substandard pharmaceutical products across the country.

She also renewed her call for the death penalty against those dealing in counterfeit drugs, describing them as merchants of death who put millions of lives at risk.

She stated, “Our officials have been targeted simply for doing their jobs.

“One of our staff members in Kano had his child kidnapped because he refused to compromise. Luckily, the child escaped.”

Adeyeye revealed that the heightened enforcement by NAFDAC recently led to the seizure of 87 truckloads of substandard and expired medical products, including antiretroviral drugs, condoms, and other compromised medical supplies.

The crackdown, which took place at major drug markets in Lagos, Onitsha, and Aba, resulted in the confiscation of fake drugs valued at over N1 trillion—the largest seizure in the agency’s history.

Despite these efforts, Adeyeye lamented the personal toll of the job, stating that she now requires round-the-clock police protection.

“I have two policemen living with me in Abuja and Lagos. I don’t have a life anymore. I can’t go anywhere without escorts. That’s not how I want to live, but I have no choice,” she said.

The NAFDAC boss reiterated that the agency remains committed to purging the country of counterfeit drugs, even in the face of threats and intimidation.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has uncovered large quantities of expired condoms and antiretroviral drugs donated by USAID and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) during recent raids in Lagos, Onitsha, and Aba warehouses.

NAFDAC Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this to State House correspondents on Wednesday during the ‘Meet The Press’ briefing at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

 

She said the regulatory agency had removed 87 truckloads of banned, expired, unregistered, and falsified medical products from over 7,000 shops inspected in the three markets.

“A database of these shops and the offences committed has been created for further steps. More than 40 arrests have been made, which will be followed by prosecution,” she said.

Adeyeye revealed that she had received threats to her life due to the agency’s operations.

“I move everywhere with security operatives. This is not my lifestyle, but I have to adapt to it,” she said.

 

The raids, which have drawn significant reactions, revealed that several pharmaceutical products—including vaccines and prescription-only medicines—were stored in unsuitable conditions, such as toilets, rooftops, and under staircases, exposing them to extreme temperatures.

 

NAFDAC also found oxytocin injections and other thermolabile drugs stored in conditions that could render them ineffective.

 

“The problem is not only about the originality of the products but about the environment and storage. Products recommended to be stored at -8°C, -2°C to 8°C were found in this environment,” Adeyeye said.

 

The agency also discovered large quantities of controlled drugs, including TAFRADOL, a drug recently banned in India following a BBC undercover investigation that exposed its manufacturer for exporting illicit drugs to Africa, including Nigeria.

 

“This drug combination has not been licensed anywhere in the world and is outrightly banned for use in the European Union,” she said.

 

Other controlled substances, including tramadol, Rohypnol (flunitrazepam), nitrazepam, and diazepam, were also seized.

 

“The volume of narcotics and controlled substances seized from each of these locations is enough to destabilize the country security-wise,” Adeyeye warned.

 

She further disclosed that NAFDAC had found “large quantities of donated antiretroviral drugs, expired female and male condoms by USAID and UNFPA.”

 

Addressing the continued closure of the Onitsha Head Bridge Market, Adeyeye said the issue had gone beyond NAFDAC’s jurisdiction.

 

“For the remaining period of the exercise, shops that have non-violative or non-NAFDAC regulated products are being reopened while owners of such shops are being asked to sign undertakings that they agree to relocate to designated Coordinated Wholesale Centres (CWC) on completion.

 

“Meanwhile, the operation continues in Onitsha Head Bridge until next week, when a similar process of opening the shops to non-violative shop owners and charging the violative ones accordingly will commence.”

 

She assured that NAFDAC would complete its operation by the end of next week but stressed that the market reopening would be “on our own conditions.”