The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has intercepted what it described as one of the worst counterfeit medicine operations in recent years, seizing over 10 million doses of fake and banned drugs hidden in warehouses in Lagos.
Addressing a press conference, Martins Iluyomade, Director of Investigation and Enforcement at NAFDAC, said intelligence reports received on February 3 led operatives to a warehouse in the Trade Fair Complex. The facility, which appeared ordinary from the outside, was revealed to be a massive illegal factory and distribution hub for counterfeit medicines.
According to NAFDAC, the seized drugs included fake anti-malaria medications, counterfeit injections, so-called “life-saving” emergency drugs, and products that have been banned in Nigeria for over 15 years. Some of the drugs were cloned to look exactly like genuine medicines, making it nearly impossible for ordinary Nigerians to distinguish them.
Iluyomade warned that the counterfeit anti-malaria drugs could have resulted in the deaths of over three million Nigerians by leaving malaria untreated while victims believed they were receiving legitimate medication.
In total, the dangerous drugs and cosmetics recovered were valued at ₦3 billion, and eight trailers were required to evacuate the cargo from the site. NAFDAC described the operation as one of the largest fake-drug busts in Nigeria’s history, revealing that the warehouse was part of a well-organized cartel with a national distribution network.
Four suspects were arrested at the scene, while a manhunt is ongoing for the cartel’s mastermind, who is believed to be orchestrating a multi-billion-naira criminal enterprise. NAFDAC has vowed to continue cracking down on counterfeit drug operations across the country.