The attention of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has been drawn to a misleading information as contained in videos that are trending on the social media of the incitement of traders of Onitsha Bridge Head Market by one social media influencer.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) therefore, wishes to alert the public and security agencies on the incitement, which may constitute a breach of the Cybercrime Act.

The public will recall the recent enforcement operation in three Open Drug Markets (Idumota, Aba and Onitsha) in the country where banned, expired, falsified, substandard narcotic medicines worth more than a trillion Naira were removed and subsequently destroyed.

Between 9th February and 27th March 2025, NAFDAC conducted a raid operation to remove unregistered, expired, banned, diverted donation drugs, substandard, falsified, and illicit narcotics and controlled substances from the three major Open Drug Markets (ODM) in the country.

All the warehouses, shops and parking stores in the three Open Drug Markets did not meet the minimum requirements of Good Storage and Distribution Practices. More importantly, there was no proof of registration of these Open Drug Market premises by the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN)  a clear contravention/violation of the pertinent extant law of the federation.

For these infractions, the administrative charges that apply (as gazetted) were imposed on perpetrators as follows:

An Investigative charge of N5M (reduced to N200,000 after pleas) for sales of unregistered products, and

An Investigative charge of N2M (reduced to N500,000 after much plea) for being in violation of Good Storage and Distribution (GSD) practice.

     The public should please note, contrary to erroneous speculations, that these are Federal government gazetted charges and payments.

NAFDAC will continue to ensure that all medical products  medicines, vaccines, medical devices and others being used in Nigeria are of good quality, safe, and efficacious.

We will continue to provide assurances that these commodities are well monitored to avoid the deaths of pregnant women, children, and the vulnerable.

Through this, we will be improving the quality of life and life expectancy of the citizenry, while reducing the incidence of untimely deaths of adults living with chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes.  We wish to assure the public that NAFDAC will continue to work within the purview of her mandate.

Prof Mojisola Adeyeye

DG NAFDAC