The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced that its officials uncovered and seized Fake malaria drugs worth over N1.2 billion during a raid in Lagos State.
In a statement issued on Friday, the agency said that its enforcement officers intercepted 277 cartons of the fake and unregistered Malamal Forte malaria drugs at a warehouse in the Ilasa-Oshodi area of the state.
NAFDAC confirm that the counterfeit medicines were concealed in cartons labelled as Diclofenac Potassium 50mg and were illegally imported from Shanxi Tianyuan Pharmaceuticals Group in China.
The fake drugs, which were concealed in cartons labelled as Diclofenac Potassium 50mg, were illegally imported from Shanxi Tianyuan Pharmaceuticals Group in China,” NAFDAC stated.
The fake drugs, which were concealed in cartons labelled as Diclofenac Potassium 50mg, were illegally imported from Shanxi Tianyuan Pharmaceuticals Group in China, NAFDAC stated.
They were falsely declared as spare parts in the shipping container.
The Director-General of Nafdac , Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, who confirmed the operation, said the agency remained committed to ridding the Nigerian pharmaceutical market of substandard and falsified medicines.
Adeyeye said the agency has the “full support of the Presidency and Federal Ministry of Health to eliminate counterfeit and substandard medicines from Nigeria”.
She warned that the distribution of such counterfeit malaria drugs poses a grave danger to public health, as malaria remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in Nigeria.
The latest seizure adds to a growing list of NAFDAC’s clampdowns on fake medicines in recent years.
Earlier this year, the agency intercepted counterfeit antimalarial drugs valued at over N3 billion at Onne Port in Rivers State.
The drugs, which were also illegally imported and concealed under false labelling, were traced to a syndicate operating across West Africa.
NAFDAC has always warned the importers and distributors against engaging in the illicit trade of fake medicines, stressing that such acts not only compromise the health of millions of Nigerians but also undermine the integrity of the nation’s healthcare system.
Adeyeye also urged the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious drug products to NAFDAC for prompt action.
This seizure is part of NAFDAC’s sustained nationwide operation to protect public health and ensure only safe, quality medicines are available to Nigerians,” she said.
