In a decisive move to curb the circulation of counterfeit, adulterated, and expired medications nationwide, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has confiscated fake malaria drugs valued at N1.2 billion.
Martin Dotun, the Director of Investigation and Enforcement, expressed deep concern to reporters about the persistent challenge posed by dishonest traders who continue to smuggle counterfeit medicines into the country, putting unsuspecting consumers at risk despite ongoing regulatory efforts.
Dotun revealed that the seized counterfeit and expired pharmaceuticals were cleverly hidden within vehicle spare parts and intercepted in Lagos.
“The smugglers attempted to mislead our officers by claiming the shipment contained only vehicle parts when stopped along the Oshodi-Mile 2 Expressway. However, after tracking the vehicle to its unloading site, enforcement agents uncovered the concealed drugs camouflaged among the supposed spare parts,” he explained.
This seizure is part of a broader crackdown initiated several months ago, which included raids on major markets such as Aba, Onitsha, and Idumota, where numerous illicit drugs were also confiscated. Dotun assured that these operations will persist until the directive from President Tinubu and NAFDAC Director-General Dr. Mojisola Adeyeye to eradicate fake drugs from the Nigerian market is fully realized.
“Consider the potential harm these counterfeit medicines could have caused if not intercepted promptly, especially since they bore various fraudulent labels designed to mislead consumers into believing they were genuine anti-malaria treatments,” he added.
“Our commitment remains unwavering; we will exhaust every avenue to eliminate this threat,” Dotun affirmed.
Earlier, Florence Uba, the officer who led the August 29, 2025 operation, detailed the discovery of the counterfeit drugs under multiple brand names.
“We observed a large truck loaded with what appeared to be vehicle spare parts. Choosing to follow it to the warehouse, we witnessed the offloading process. Despite attempts to deceive us by insisting the cargo was solely spare parts, we uncovered 277 cartons filled with drugs hidden inside,” Uba recounted.
“Upon inspection, it was evident that the shipment was falsely declared. The cartons bore various brand names, and the drug sachets themselves displayed two different labels. Laboratory analysis is still required to determine the precise contents of these sachets,” she added.
“Among the seized items were packages labeled as Diclofenac Potassium Enteric Coated 50mg and Artemether/Lumefantrine 80/480mg, with each tablet purportedly containing the stated active ingredients, pending confirmation through lab testing,” Uba concluded.
