…Says Seizure Prevented 500,000 Nigerians From Taking Counterfeit Drugs
Lucky Obukohwo Reporting
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), said it has prevented 500,000 Nigerians from taking counterfeit drugs as it impounded 277 cartoons of the fake and unregistered Malamal Fort malaria drugs worth over N1.2 billion in Lagos.
The Director of Investigation and Enforcement of the agency, Dr. Martins Iluyomade, revealed this to Journalists.
He said the drug was discovered inside a container alleged to have contained only spare-parts at a warehouse along Ilasa-Oshodi.
He said the drug was concealed in a cartoon of Diclofenac Potassium enteric coated 50mg and was manufactured by Shanxi Tianyuan Pharmaceuticals Group in China.
He said the recent discovery by the agency was part of its ongoing nationwide efforts to rid the country of fake and unregistered drugs.
He said NAFDAC director-general, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, with support from the Presidency and health ministry, was committed to reducing fake and substandard medicines to the barest minimum.
“This enforcement action started before today. It’s a follow-up of enforcement operations launched early this year by NAFDAC in Lagos, Aba and Onitsha.
“The container that concealed these unregistered drugs was trailed from Apapa, where it was declared to contain spare parts but our operation team led by Mrs Florence Uba, a deputy director, tracked the container to a warehouse.
“A carton of the concealed malaria drugs contains 18 packs, with 100 sachets in each of the packs.
“Ordinarily, you will think that what is inside the pack is Diclofenac, a pain killer but opening the pack, we saw something else and this raised our curiosity.
“Imagine the number of doses we have here, and how many households would have taken these doses, thinking they are taking malaria tablets in this country,” he said.
He said that further investigation revealed that the person behind the importation had relocated from Onitsha to China after NAFDAC’s clampdown at the Onitsha drug market.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the agency to safeguard the health and well being of Nigerians in its fight against the sale and distribution of unregistered and counterfeit medicines in the country.
“The NAFDAC DG is leaving no stone unturned in uncovering the root causes and providing answers to the questions Nigerians have been asking.”