The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control NAFDAC has alerted the general public against fake products having seized five hundred million naira worth of cosmetics.
The Director of Investigation and Enforcement who is also a Chairman of the Federal Task Force on fake drugs, Dr Martins Iluyomade, made the call at a news briefing in its Apapa office in Lagos.
Dr Iluyomade gave the warning following the new device used to fake genuinely recognised products.
Explaining further, he said, “Our enforcement team got an alert that some people are hiding inside one of the military markets, Mammy market, refilling genuinely recognised cosmetics with fake ones”.
“They simply reproduce the containers and refill them with their own fake cream or lotions.” he said
While commending military personnel for assisting NAFDAC in the smooth operations, Iluyomade stated that, “because they know that Mammy Markets are mostly known for genuine products, they hide inside the market to produce fake cosmetics”.
According to him, “It was military personnel who helped us to seize the product, which the fake makers also import empty containers to refill.”
The Director of Enforcement urged members of the public to be cautious when buying products that is not properly verified.
Although some of the suspects were arrested, NAFDAC wants you to say something if you see something.
Iluyomade charged the people to assist NAFDAC in achieving the planned eradication of fake, expired, substandard products in line with the mandate of the agency.