The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has appealed to community leaders, religious leaders, and health practitioners to educate their wards and family members to desist from patronizing quacks and peddlers of medicines on the streets.
Director General, NAFDAC, Professor Christianah Adeyeye made the call in a message to the burning of ceased counterfeit and unwholesome products, soaps, and perfume at the dumpsite in Shagamu Ogun State.
The D G who solicited the continued support and cooperation of the general public to provide valuable information that will lead to preventing and eradicating unregistered and dangerous drugs, food, and other violative products from getting into society stressed that NAFDAC is a Customer and Agency.
According to her, “Over 50 raids on hawkers of drugs have been carried out across the federation, so far in 2023. Products peddled by these drug hawkers include Codeine cough syrups and other narcotic drugs (e.g tramadol capsules), Antimalarial, Aphrodisiacs, Analgesics, Antibiotics worth over Eight Million, naira (N8,000,000) were confiscated and 66 arrests were made. Recently, one Sunday Chibuike (M) was charged to court for the production of unregistered alcoholic beverages “.
He was concocting alcoholic drinks laced with marijuana and other harmful ingredients, which were packaged and sold as ” Japata bitters ” in Ayobo-Ipaja, Alimosho LGA of Lagos State. Lacing unregistered herbal concoctions with marijuana and selling them to unsuspecting shoppers is highly deceptive and callous. This act is extremely worrisome because of the health implications associated with the use of this dangerous product, which includes Pseudo hallucinations, impairment of reflexes, acute psychosis, altered brain development, and impaired motor coordination amongst others “. Adeyeye
She noted and I quote: ” The products being destroyed during are made up of Substandard and Falsi+ed Medical Products, Unwholesome Processed Food products and food additives, Unsafe Cosmetics, Counterfeits and other Expired NAFDAC Regulated Products seized by the Agency from manufacturers, importers and distributors. Also, up for destruction today are Damaged and Expired products voluntarily handed over by compliant companies, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and Trade Unions, to the Agency. The estimated street value of the products planned for destruction is Sixteen billion Naira only (N16,000,000,000.00 “.
Professor Adeyeye appreciated the judiciary for the support and also appealed that it take a sterner view of counterfeiting and apply stiffer sanctions to deter counterfeiters, because of the dangers they continue to pose to society and consumers of the dangerous products they peddle. ” Let me also appreciate members of the National Assembly for their support while pleading that the Counterfeit Medical Products Bill that will strengthen the Agency’s fight against counterfeiting in Nigeria be passed “.
She appreciated the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for handing over two (2) 40ft containers with Novalgin and Chloroquine which had been destroyed. She said, ” My appreciation also goes to the Nigeria Police Force, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Department of State Services (DSS), and other sister Agencies and stakeholders for their continuous collaboration in our pursuit to rid the country of substandard and falsified medicines, and other unwholesome regulated products “.
Discover more from Radio Nigeria Lagos
Subscribe to get the latest posts to your email.
