The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has destroyed unwholesome and falsified medical products worth an estimated fifteen billion naira. The destruction exercise aimed to eliminate the risk of these dangerous products re-entering the market and harming public health. The event was held at the Moniya dumpsite in Ibadan, Oyo State. Agency Director-General Mojisola Adeyeye stated the action demonstrates a firm commitment to safeguarding the health of Nigerians. She noted the destroyed items included counterfeit, expired, controlled, unregistered, and banned medicines and medical products .
The street value of the destroyed products was more than N15 billion. This high value shows the scale of illegal pharmaceutical operations in Nigeria . The destroyed products ranged from fake and expired medicines to illegally made cosmetics. Specific items named by the agency included Analgin, Co-codamol, codeine-containing cough syrups, Tramadol, Oxytocin, and various expired vaccines . Prof. Adeyeye said these items pose significant health risks if consumed or circulated . She shared details of a recent seizure. A container was falsely labeled as containing diclofenac but was filled with anti-malaria drugs. The shipment contained 277 cartons with more than 100,000 tablets. The suspect linked to this shipment was arrested and will face legal prosecution .
The agency also discovered and confiscated a wide range of illegally made cosmetics and packaging materials during a raid on a military barracks in Lagos . Some of the items destroyed were seized during recent nationwide raids. These raids targeted black-market drug sellers, counterfeiters, and unlicensed medicine dealers who operate without regulation or oversight . Prof. Adeyeye expressed gratitude to the Nigeria Customs Service for handing over more than twenty-five seized containers of prohibited products. These included tramadol, artesunate injections, and frozen poultry. She also thanked the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, Department of State Services, and the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria for their support .
This large-scale destruction in Ibadan is part of a broader enforcement campaign. Between February and March 2025, NAFDAC conducted raids on three major Open Drug Markets in Nigeria. These markets were in Idumota, Aba, and Onitsha. The agency evacuated banned, expired, and falsified narcotic medicines worth more than a trillion naira from these locations . The Agency stated it acted within its statutory mandate to safeguard public health. The decision to seal shops and impose charges followed painstaking surveillance and intelligence. The surveillance revealed large-scale stocking and distribution of fake and dangerous products. This was a direct violation of national regulations . The Bridge Head Market in Onitsha was specifically identified as a major hub for the distribution of counterfeit and dangerous drugs. This situation has led to countless preventable illnesses and deaths .
For these infractions, the agency imposed federal government-gazetted investigative charges on perpetrators. A charge of five million naira, later reduced after pleas, was for sales of unregistered products. A charge of two million naira, also reduced after pleas, was for violations of Good Storage and Distribution practice . The market was reopened on the 9th of March 2025. Over 2500 traders with 3500 shops who came forward for the necessary regulatory procedure and paid the investigative charges have resumed their normal activity .
However, a recent investigation has uncovered a serious flaw in the destruction process itself. A separate destruction exercise took place in February 2025 at the Aluu dumpsite near Port Harcourt. Products worth N4.7 billion were burned there . Investigations reveal that after the NAFDAC officials left, a bustling illegal drug market sprouted at the dumpsite. Unscrupulous actors invaded the site to retrieve partially burnt and unburnt drugs . This incident shows how improper disposal of counterfeit and expired products can create an unintended loophole. It can fuel the proliferation of the very fake drugs the agency aims to eliminate . Witnesses described how people carried away cartons of drugs using empty cement bags. One person involved said a bag of cement of the products was sold for twenty thousand naira. An unburnt carton could be sold for nearly two hundred thousand naira . This recovery and resale of supposedly destroyed drugs poses a major public health risk. It also shows the challenges in securing the entire supply chain, from seizure to final disposal .
Prof. Adeyeye urged community leaders, health professionals, religious figures, and journalists to help. She asked them to educate the public on the dangers of buying from unlicensed drug sellers and unregistered pharmaceutical outlets . She called for public participation in the fight against substandard products. She urged Nigerians to report suspicious drug activities to help protect lives and strengthen the nation’s regulatory system . Public vigilance and collaboration remain crucial. They help ensure that fake, dangerous, and illegal health products are kept off the streets and out of Nigerian homes . The Oyo State Director of NAFDAC, Samuel Adeyemi, reiterated the agency’s zero tolerance for substandard and counterfeit products. He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant. “If you see something, say something,” he stressed .