The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) destroyed fake and substandard products worth over N5 billion on Thursday in Lafia, Nasarawa State. The agency carried out the destruction to protect consumers and prevent the harmful items from returning to the market.
Seized Products From Five States
NAFDAC officials collected the products during routine monitoring across Nasarawa, Benue, Kogi, Niger, and Plateau states. The items included fake drugs, falsified medical devices, unsafe cosmetics, expired chemicals and counterfeit detergents.
Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the NAFDAC Director-General, explained that many traders deliberately hoarded expired goods or revalidated them to deceive buyers. She said some business owners, however, handed in their expired products voluntarily.
Her representative at the event, North-Central Zonal Director Kenneth Azikiwe, stressed that these dangerous goods posed serious threats to public health.
Why NAFDAC Carried Out the Destruction
Adeyeye said the agency destroyed the products to stop them from reappearing on shelves. She noted that NAFDAC aims to keep only safe, high-quality products in Nigerian markets.
She urged citizens to report anyone producing or selling fake items, adding that public intelligence strengthens the agency’s enforcement work.
According to her, many counterfeit products remain in circulation because some traders value profit over human lives. She warned that the agency will intensify surveillance to track down those behind the illegal trade.
Nasarawa Government Reacts
The Nasarawa State Commissioner for Security and Safety Matters, Usman Baba, praised NAFDAC for its effort to sanitise markets in the state. He said the operation shows the government’s commitment to protecting residents from harmful goods.
Baba added that the state will continue to support NAFDAC’s enforcement campaigns because fake products weaken public confidence and endanger lives.
