The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has intercepted counterfeit malaria drugs valued at over N1.2 billion in Lagos.
The Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Martins Iluyomade, disclosed on Thursday that the fake products, branded Malamal Fort, were concealed in a container that was declared to contain spare parts. The discovery was made at a warehouse in the Ilasa-Oshodi area of the state.
Iluyomade explained that the drugs were packaged in cartons labelled as enteric-coated diclofenac potassium 50mg but, upon inspection, were found to contain counterfeit anti-malaria medicines allegedly manufactured by Shanxi Tianyuan Pharmaceuticals Group in China.
“This seizure has prevented over 500,000 Nigerians from consuming harmful and unregistered medicines.
Each carton contained 18 packs, with 100 sachets in each pack. Imagine the number of households that could have unknowingly ingested these drugs, believing they were genuine malaria tablets,” he said.
According to him, the seizure was part of NAFDAC’s sustained nationwide crackdown on fake and unregistered drugs.
He added that the container had been trailed from Apapa Port, where it was falsely declared as spare parts, before being tracked to the Lagos warehouse by an enforcement team led by Deputy Director Florence Uba.
Iluyomade further revealed that preliminary investigation showed the importer had relocated to China after a clampdown on the Onitsha drug market.
He assured Nigerians that the agency, under the leadership of Director-General Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, with backing from the Presidency and the Federal Ministry of Health, was determined to drastically reduce the circulation of counterfeit medicines in the country.
“The Director-General is leaving no stone unturned in uncovering the networks behind these dangerous imports. This is part of NAFDAC’s renewed commitment to safeguarding the health and well-being of Nigerians,” he said.
The seized products, according to NAFDAC, will undergo laboratory tests to determine their actual content before destruction.
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