Tag: NAFDAC

…agency raised ₦2.5 billion from Lagos, Onitsha, Aba raid

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) said on Wednesday that it raided the Kano drug market in obedience to an order of a Federal High Court to relocate the traders to another location. 

The agency said that in contrast to its raid on drug markets in Lagos, Onitsha, and Aba which generated about N2.5 billion, the raid in Kano did not generate any revenue for the agency because it was ordered by the Court and had to be executed. 

Director-General of the agency, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye disclosed this at an interactive session with the House of Representatives Committee on Food and Drug Administration and Control. 

She said the Kano raid was anchored on a February 16, 2024 judgment of the Federal High Court which ordered the relocation of the open drug market traders to the newly constructed Coordinated Wholesale Centre (CWC), known as the Kanawa Pharmaceutical Centre.

She said the traders initially resisted the move, leading to real threats of violence, saying “we had no choice; we had to act. They padlocked their shops but we bought bigger padlocks and sealed them. To reopen, they had to agree to relocate.”

She said no administrative charges or fines were collected during the Kano enforcement, due to the urgent and court-directed nature of the operation, but said post-marketing surveillance was carried out after relocation. 

She said: “These are the lives we are trying to save. We had no funds at the time our accounts had just been shut down and reopened with zero balance at the start of January 2024. Yet, we had to carry out the court judgment and move over 1,300 shops into the regulated centre.”

According to her, Kano was the only state that had built its CWC as mandated by a presidential directive, long before her tenure began, saying “In the South, Lagos, Onitsha, Aba, there was no CWC. So our approach was different. We had time to prepare, inspect, and charge offenders according to their violations,” she explained.

Responding to concerns that Kano traders were treated more leniently compared to the operations in the southern part of the country, she said the agency followed due process, guided by the urgency of the court judgment and prevailing security risks.

“In retrospect, yes, we could have done more inspections or collected administrative fees. But that wasn’t feasible under the circumstances. Even a legal officer was almost killed at the court premises. It was a volatile situation,” she said

Speaking on the the financial situation of the agency, Director of Finance and Accounts, NAFDAC, Adeniji Nma, said the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) had unilaterally classified NAFDAC as a revenue-generating agency and begun sweeping up to 50 per cent of all revenue inflows into the federal treasury.

She said: “There was an order from OAGF. They have recruited us as a revenue-generating agency. And we have been writing several letters that we are not actually a revenue-generating agency, we are just for the health of the nation.

“Part of our money is tied to our clients. When they pay for inspections or one service or the other, it is tied directly to that service. But up till now, they have not yet approved our exemption.

“In 2024, they began taking 50 per cent of every revenue generated by NAFDAC automatically. When money drops from a client, half goes straight to the treasury. Suddenly, in 2025, we found out they are now taking up to 75 per cent of every inflow. 

Because of it, we find it difficult to do most of our operations.”

The DG said the generated N2.5 billion from its recent clampdown on illicit drug markets in Lagos, Onitsha, and Aba, adding that the funds were fines collected from traders found guilty of selling fake or substandard drugs during recent enforcement actions in open markets across the country.

She said all funds were paid directly into NAFDAC’s official account, adding that N996 million was spent on enforcement operations, N159 million was borrowed from a donor grant, and N1.175 billion went to regulatory expenses. 

According to her, the agency was left with about N206 million after deductions.

She said the agency deployed over 1,300 security personnel for the operation and uncovered widespread violations ranging from expired and unapproved drugs to poor storage practices. 

“The charges collected were paid directly into a NAFDAC account. The total amount was about N2.5 billion—roughly N2.537 billion.

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“For the operation in the three markets—Lagos, Onitsha, and Aba—about N996 million was spent. We had to borrow N159 million from an existing grant because we didn’t have funds. In addition, regulatory expenses amounted to N1.175 billion. So, out of the N2.537 billion, we have only about N207 million left in the account.”, she said. 

Adeyeye said the enforcement drive, which lasted up to four weeks in some locations, uncovered serious threats to public health, saying some shop owners were caught distributing banned substances like Tramadol and selling expired or unregistered medicines.

“These charges were not punitive but necessary. The standard fine for violating Good Distribution and Storage Practice (GDSP) is N2 million, but in many cases, we reduced it to N500,000,” she said.

She, however lamented that the agency’s inability to sustain such critical operations is being crippled by severe revenue restrictions imposed by the federal government

While decrying the financial constraints facing the agency, Adeyeye explained that at the end of 2023, NAFDAC had N19 billion in its accounts  

The DG however noted that N9 billion was removed before the agency could access it, and only N4.5 billion was eventually released. 

Chairman of the committee, Regina Akume, noted that the agency’s presentation was incomplete.

“The work has not been completed. I would like to give you a chance to go back and work on this. How much were you paid into the account. What goes in and what goes out. We haven’t talked about that-, she said.

The committee, consequently, directed the agency to return with a comprehensive, location-by-location account of the N2.5 billion generated from the raids.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced plans to arraign Lazarus Okwukwe, a notorious importer of fake, expired, and unlicensed medicines, recently apprehended in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State.

Okwukwe, who has long been on the agency’s watchlist, was arrested following a joint operation in February involving the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force (NPF), and the Department of State Services (DSS). The sting operation led to the discovery of large quantities of expired and unregistered medicines at his residence in Umuocheala, Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area.

The illicit drugs, which were allegedly being re-labelled and repackaged for sale to unsuspecting consumers, were stored in a twin two-storey duplex, including a boy’s quarters and other bungalows.

NAFDAC officials said 14 truckloads of the fake medicines, each weighing 10 tons, were evacuated from the compound.

According to the Southeast Zonal Director of NAFDAC, Martin Iluyomade, who was represented by Deputy Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Pharmacist Omoyeni Babatunji, the suspect attempted to flee but was intercepted while sneaking into the premises.

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Babatunji confirmed that Okwukwe, believed to be the largest dealer of expired drugs in the Southeast, operated one of the biggest medicine stores at the Ekumi shopping plaza in Aba.

The building was sealed by authorities, and Okwukwe had been at large until his recent arrest.

“Those who were here in February will recall that even the gate had to be forcefully opened. After the operation, the premises were sealed and placed under surveillance,” Babatunji said.

NAFDAC said the suspect would soon be arraigned in court in Abia State as investigations continue.

“The two vehicles, a Highlander and a Camry that we saw here back then, are still at the Area Command Headquarters here in Aba.

“Because of the surveillance that we put in place on this building back then, we never expected that this man would even attempt to come because he has been sending a lot of people to our different offices, but we kept insisting that he must be brought.

“However, he thought that the government had forgotten about him, but as you can see, that’s not the case at all.

“We moved around the whole house back then, and everywhere was full of expired drugs, which we took to our lab to confirm.

“Suddenly, today, we are seeing everywhere occupied by tenants. We have also confirmed that we don’t have any drugs in the building again.

“However, our continuous surveillance team, which was formed in synergy with other sister agencies, yielded a result, as the suspect was apprehended while going out from this building with a Siena vehicle loaded with drugs.”

Speaking further, he said, “So, we are here to tell the world that we have seen him; he has been apprehended now, and the process of taking the samples of those drugs for laboratory evaluation against him will take place.

“From there, everything scientific to prove what we saw will be proven in court because we’re a scientific organisation.

“Recall that we picked samples of those products, and they were kept safely in our office. Now, we’re taking those samples, and we’ll give him one sample, send another one to the lab, and then keep one as an exhibit for us in case he wants to contest the laboratory result.

“We are a scientific organisation that deals with scientific evaluations. We will sample, and he’ll see his products.”

In an interview with journalists, the suspect confirmed that he owns the buildings, makes use of them as warehouses for the drugs he deals in, which he insisted were foreign drugs and not expired drugs, contrary to NAFDAC’s claims.

Onwukwe also denied knowing that his buildings were sealed after the 11th February raid by NAFDAC, hence the decision by his wife to rent the spaces to tenants.

Speaking on why he did not submit himself to the authorities, Onwukwe said, “I have been sick for over three months now. I have been very sick, but my people have been going to their office.

“My wife and my in-laws have been going to the Area Command as well as NAFDAC’s office in Enugu and Asaba. I have been very sick. I just recovered one week ago; I really wanted to go to them, but I was sick.”

He, however, said that he never knew that one of his boys, whom he settled after his apprenticeship and who was still staying with him prior to the raid and subsequently, his arrest by the police, was using his house to revalidate expired drugs.

Wife of the suspect, Mrs. Nwamaka Chidiebere, confirmed that she was at home when the joint team raided their residence in February 2025 and denied that the building was sealed.

“I was the one who rented the apartment to the tenants because I have been looking for my husband for some months, and I didn’t see him. So, I had no option other than to rent the vacant spaces out to tenants.”

When asked if she was aware that fake and expired drugs were discovered in the buildings, she said, “I am aware that the security people came here because I was here, but I am not into the business with him because he said he doesn’t want me in his business. I only know that he deals in foreign drugs, US drugs to be precise.

“I am a local government worker, so I don’t know anything about my husband’s business. I wrote a statement on this matter with the police, and I stand by what I wrote.”

One of the tenants, Engineer Lawrence Nwankwo, said that he moved into the building in June 2025 and was never aware that the building was sealed and under the surveillance of NAFDAC.

“I was not aware of anything. I was not residing in this area. I was only looking for a house, and I was told that there’s a vacancy in this place. I made all payments to the landlady of this place.”

Another tenant, Mrs. Chioma Innocent, also said she was never aware that the building she paid for was under any kind of seal.”

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has destroyed 491,000 tablets of Tramadol 225mg.

Each packet contains 100 tablets -10 sachets with 10 tablets each -100, making it 491,000 tablets of the total rolls valued at N91 million.

The destruction exercise took place at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, using an incinerator.

Yusuf Idris, Deputy Comptroller, enforcement, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Kano/Jigawa Command, said the agency, headed by Comptroller Abubakar Zurmi, intercepted the drugs on May 28 and handed over the consignment to NAFDAC.

He said the medicine, which is for treatment, was being smuggled in that large quantity into the country to be sold to drug abusers, thereby worsening the nation’s security challenge.

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“We intercepted the consignment when unscrupulous elements attempted to smuggle it into Nigeria.

“The culprits abandoned the consignment when overwhelmed by NCS operatives.

”The duty value of this consignment would have been N91,000,000.00,” he said.

Director General, NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the operation demonstrates excellent inter-agency collaboration and strategic partnership aimed at strengthening control measures and curbing the menace of illicit drug trade.

“We remain committed to strengthening this partnership, in line with our national action plan and memorandum of understanding between the two agencies of government.

“The agency wishes to reiterate its commitment to safeguarding the health of all Nigerians,” Dr. Martins Iluyomade, Director Investigation and Enforcement, NAFDAC, who represented the DG, said.

NAFDAC called on anyone with information to report to the nearest NAFDAC office for immediate action.

The Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has dismissed as false and misleading a viral audio circulating on social media alleging that the agency shut down the Tummy Tummy noodles facility in Anambra State and imposed a ban on tinned tomatoes and Maggi seasoning cubes.

In a statement on Wednesday by NAFDAC’s Resident Media Consultant, Sayo Akintola, the DG said the agency categorically disclaims the contents of this recording and dissociates itself from it in its entirety.

She explained that the same audio first surfaced in October 2023 and was thoroughly investigated by the agency at that time.

“Contrary to the claims made in the recording, the Tummy Tummy noodles facility in Anambra State was not sealed,” she clarified.

Prof. Adeyeye said an inspection team from NAFDAC had conducted an unannounced visit to the factory, during which they collected samples of four different noodle variants and submitted them to the Agulu Laboratory for analysis.

“The results returned satisfactory, with no infractions recorded,” she stated.

She further clarified that the individual behind the misleading audio falsely claimed to be acting in collaboration with NAFDAC and alleged the use of ‘acetyl methyl’ as a preservative in the product, saying, “This was unfounded and misleading. NAFDAC found no evidence to support the claims and reiterates that the company was not in violation of any safety or regulatory standards”.

Addressing broader concerns, Prof. Adeyeye recalled that following reports in 2023 about the presence of ethylene oxide in instant noodles, NAFDAC launched a comprehensive investigation covering both factory and market levels.

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“Findings confirmed that ethylene oxide or its derivative was not present in any instant noodles or seasonings produced in Nigeria. Additionally, mycotoxin levels and heavy metals were within internationally acceptable limits, confirming the safety of Nigerian-made noodles,” she stated.

She also reaffirmed that there is no ban on tinned tomatoes or Maggi seasoning cubes in Nigeria, saying, “We urge the public to disregard the misleading audio and refrain from spreading unverified content”.

She reassured the public that NAFDAC remains proactive and committed to its mandate of safeguarding public health by ensuring that only safe, high-quality, and properly regulated food and drug products are available to Nigerians.