By Akinwale Kasali
Over 10 million doses of fake and banned drugs hidden inside some warehouses in Lagos State has been uncovered by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC.
The agency said the discovery can be described as “one of the worst counterfeit medicine operations in recent years”.
Martins Iluyomade, NAFDAC’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement and Chairman of the Federal Task Force on Fake and Substandard Products, disclosed that the discovery followed intelligence from a training meeting held on February 3 on suspicious activities around the Trade Fair–Navy area.
While speaking to Journalists at a Press Briefing organised by the Agency, Iluyomade said, “Acting on information from that meeting, our team visited the location and found multiple warehouse structures built like residential houses but used solely for storage. The area is deserted, not somewhere people normally go, which is likely why they operated undetected”,he stated.
He added that inside the buildings, officials found large quantities of counterfeit medicines, including injectable anti-malarials, antibiotics, sachet drugs, blister packs, and banned products such as Analgin, which has been prohibited for over 15 years.
“What we discovered should make every Nigerian cry. These were not just fake vitamins. These were life-saving medicines — injections used in emergency cases like cerebral malaria. When fake injections are used in such situations, it becomes a death sentence.
“It is extremely difficult to distinguish the fake from the original. Even product owners sometimes struggle to tell the difference. That is how sophisticated these criminals have become,” he stated.
He further added that the street value of the confiscated products is over N3 billion, with eight trailers loaded with assorted fake medicines and cosmetics evacuated from the site.
“This is a major breakthrough for Nigeria and Nigerians. These products will not enter circulation,” the NAFDAC official said.
He said: “They clone original products. They take samples of genuine medicines, reproduce them abroad to near perfection, and push them back into our distribution chain. This is organised crime involving collaborators both inside and outside Nigeria.”
The NAFDAC official, who warned that Nigeria’s health system is under attack from counterfeiters driven by profit, said: “The country is under siege by people who want to make money at all costs — even if it means killing fellow citizens and destroying reputable brands.”
Iluyomade further revealed that some manufacturers had reported fake versions of their products in the market for over six months, but criminals often distribute in small quantities to avoid detection.
He however warned that If a drug is unusually cheap, Nigerians shouldnt think theu have found a bargain. It could cost you your life,” he warned.
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