NAFDAC Busts N1.2bn Fake Malaria Drug Syndicate In Major Crackdown

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has intercepted counterfeit malaria drugs valued at over N1.2 billion in Lagos, marking another major step in its ongoing fight against substandard medicines in Nigeria.

According to Ireporter Online, the agency disclosed that it seized 277 cartons of fake and unregistered Malamal Forte malaria drugs hidden inside a warehouse in the Ilasa-Oshodi area of the state. The cartons, falsely labelled as Diclofenac Potassium 50mg, were reportedly smuggled into the country from Shanxi Tianyuan Pharmaceuticals Group in China and falsely declared as spare parts.

NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to ridding Nigeria of counterfeit pharmaceuticals, stressing that the crackdown has the full backing of the Presidency and the Federal Ministry of Health. She explained that the seizure was part of a nationwide enforcement campaign aimed at ensuring that only safe and quality medicines reach the Nigerian market.

Earlier in the week, Prof. Adeyeye revealed that recent raids on illicit drug markets in Lagos, Onitsha, and Aba generated about N2.5 billion from fines imposed on offenders. She disclosed before the House of Representatives Committee on Food and Drug Administration and Control in Abuja that N996 million was spent on enforcement operations, N159 million was sourced from a donor grant, while N1.18 billion went into regulatory expenses, leaving NAFDAC with N207 million.

She added that the agency’s operations, which deployed more than 1,300 security operatives, exposed widespread violations including the sale of expired and unapproved drugs as well as unsafe storage practices.

Meanwhile, in Gombe State, NAFDAC also embarked on a sensitisation campaign in Billiri Local Government Area following reports that some traders were using calcium carbide to ripen fruits. The state coordinator, James Agada, warned that the practice poses severe health risks such as cancer, kidney and liver damage, heart failure, and permanent skin complications.

He urged fruit sellers to adopt safer methods, stressing that the agency’s initial approach would focus on education before enforcement. The Chairman of the Fruit Sellers Association in Billiri, Alhaji Murtala Mohammed, commended NAFDAC for the initiative and cautioned members against the use of calcium carbide, recommending natural alternatives such as pear and garden egg extracts for fruit ripening.