A combined enforcement team comprising the military, police, Department of State Services (DSS), and NAFDAC officials raided the market in the early hours of Monday.
By Ife Osemedua
365Daily – The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Monday, February 10, 2025 raided the Ogbo-Ogu Market at Bridge Head, Onitsha, seizing large quantities of fake, expired, and substandard drugs in a sweeping crackdown on illicit pharmaceuticals.
Led by the South-East Zone Director, Dr. Martins Iluyomade, operatives of the agency stormed the market, uncovering a thriving black market where counterfeit medicines were repackaged to deceive unsuspecting buyers.
The enforcement which is part of a coordinated operation across all South-East states, aimed to dismantle networks peddling dangerous and banned substances.
A combined enforcement team comprising the military, police, Department of State Services (DSS), and NAFDAC officials raided the market in the early hours of Monday, confiscating unregistered and falsified drugs worth millions of naira.
Iluyomade revealed that intelligence gathering had exposed the widespread distribution of falsified drugs, including antibiotics, antimalarials, anti-diabetics, and even controlled substances like tramadol (above 100 mg) and codeine.
“These drugs pose a serious threat to public health, causing disabilities and even death,” he warned.
While the total value of the confiscated drugs remains undetermined, NAFDAC assured the public that the seized products would be prevented from re-entering circulation.
The agency urged Nigerians to buy medicines only from licensed outlets and reiterated its commitment to purging the nation’s drug markets of dangerous pharmaceuticals.