NAFDAC Destroys Fake Drugs Worth N11bn in Oyo
National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has destroyed unregistered and unwholesome products worth about eleven billion naira.
The exercise which took place at the Oyo State Government approved dumpsite in Akinyele Local Government Area of the State was witnessed by representative of NAFDAC Director General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye.
Professor Adeyeye who was represented by the Director, NAFDAC South West ZONE, Mrs Roseline Ajayi, explained that the items destroyed were seized in five States in the Southwest zone and, Kwara State in the North Central due to its nearness to the SouthWest Zone.
The NAFDAC Director-General listed the items set ablaze by the Agency, to include expired products that were voluntarily forfeited by people in the drug distribution channel, unregistered and unwholesome products that were raided from different outlets and warehouses, fake and counterfeit as well as unregistered imported products smuggled into the country.
Professor Adeyeye pointed out that the public destruction of the products was to show the people that the seized items were not diverted for personal use but to prevent them from being re-circulated and consumed by the public.
The Director-General who noted that the exercise was carried out under close monitoring in an approved dumpsite to reduce the impact of environmental pollution, solicited the continued partnership from sister Agencies and Nigerians to keep the country safe and free from unwholesome, substandard, fake and counterfeit medicine and other regulated products.
The Head of Investigation Enforcement Directorate, NAFDAC, Mr Mohammed Shaba who said products worth 98.2 billion naira were also destroyed by the Agency in October this year, urged the public to see report of activities of manufacturers of fake and, expired products being repackaged, as a civic responsibility.
Mr Shaba stated that NAFDAC had signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, with Nigeria Customs Service and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, to strengthen their collaboration in combating products counterfeiting and illicit drug trafficking.
In a remark, Chairman, Oyo State Hospital Management Board, Dr Akin Fagbemi reiterated Governor Seyi Makinde Administration’s efforts in safeguarding the health of citizens and applauded NAFDAC’s transparency in the destruction of the confiscated products.
