The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has seized more than 10 million doses of counterfeit malaria medications and cosmetic products valued at approximately ₦3 billion from the Trade Fair Market in Lagos.
NAFDAC’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Dr. Martins Iluyomade, revealed the operation during a briefing at the agency’s Apapa office on Monday, noting that the raid followed credible intelligence received on February 3.
According to Iluyomade, the counterfeit items included anti-malarial drugs, cerebral malaria injections, antibiotics, postinor, and anagin products—some of which have been banned in Nigeria for nearly 15 years. The items were stored in a three-story building disguised as a spare parts warehouse.
Eight truckloads of the fake drugs and cosmetics were removed during the operation, which also resulted in the arrest of four individuals. Investigations are ongoing, but the director described the raid as one of NAFDAC’s most significant recent achievements.
He warned that had these products reached the market, they could have endangered the lives of up to three million Nigerians.
Iluyomade stressed that under the leadership of Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, NAFDAC remains committed to eliminating counterfeit and substandard products nationwide.
The director also advised drug distributors to source products exclusively from NAFDAC-accredited manufacturers and urged the public to report suspicious activities to the nearest NAFDAC office.
