The South-East Zonal Director of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Martins Iluyomade, has raised concerns over the widespread manufacturing and sale of counterfeit and expired drugs in the popular “Ogbo Ogu Market,” also known as the “Head-bridge Drug Market” in Onitsha, Anambra State.
Iluyomade’s warning followed an early morning raid on the market at around 4 a.m. on Monday, conducted by him and his team, along with heavily armed security operatives from the military and the Nigeria Police Force.
During the operation, NAFDAC officials inspected numerous drug shops and warehouses, uncovering counterfeit, substandard, and expired drugs concealed in cartons. They also discovered empty drug containers and packaging, with labels indicating names and addresses of both local and international manufacturers, as well as NAFDAC registration numbers.
Furthermore, the team found fake drugs being produced by some traders, awaiting packaging in these containers and packets, despite the manufacturers being registered with the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN).
Speaking to the media, Iluyomade expressed concern that many of the fake drugs discovered were crucial medications, including expensive foreign-manufactured drugs. He lamented that these counterfeit products would eventually be sold to unsuspecting consumers, putting their health at risk.
Iluyomade also explained that while NAFDAC had previously collaborated with the market’s leadership during such operations, they had opted to go a different route this time to avoid the blackmail and attacks from other traders that the leadership had faced in the past.
Regarding the duration of the exercise, Iluyomade emphasized the scale of the operation, stating that while it’s difficult to predict how long it would take, NAFDAC was committed to continuing until the market was cleared of fake drugs, even if it took up to a year. He urged consumers to remain vigilant, reiterating NAFDAC’s advice to “shine your eyes” when purchasing medicines, now with the added emphasis to “shine the whole of your body.”
Iluyomade concluded that all offenders would face legal action and highlighted the seriousness of the issue, stressing that fake and substandard medicines were responsible for countless deaths. He confirmed that similar raids were being conducted across major drug markets in the Southeast, as part of a carefully planned national effort to tackle the issue.
