The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has seized 15 containers of falsified pharmaceutical products. The agency also took delivery of tomato paste imported through one port in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
According to the agency’s media consultant, Sayo Akinola, the fake products are estimated to be worth N20.5bn. Akinola stated that the pharmaceutical products and four containers of substandard tomato paste had been submitted to the Director General of NAFDAC.
Akintola clarified that 1.3million bottles of codeine syrup, 12.6 million tramadol tablets were among the consignments seized on Sunday. Other regulated products seized include containers of illicit tomato paste with 280 packages of hyergra tablets.
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Reacting to this, the agency director general, Mojisola Adeyeye, commended the customs general and his team for mobilising against substandard products. Adeyeye also warned shady merchants that illicit products won’t be allowed into the country, either imported or exported.
The general warned that the war against illicit drugs won’t be stopped irrespective of the threats faced from the crooked merchants. She called on all Nigerians to partner with the agency by giving the agency relevant information about fake drugs imported.
Adeyeye revealed that food poisoning, chronic organ damage, and cancer risk are among the dangers of consuming substandard products. She promised to continue to develop new strategies by cooperating with meaningful organizations to build a safer nation.
According to her, safeguarding the nation’s health is a collective responsibility that the agency cannot do alone.
