How NAFDAC intelligence led to seizure of N1.2 billion of fake drugs Iluyomade

By allcitynews.blog 

As part of its continued efforts to checkmate importation and circulation of fake, adulterated and expired drugs, NAFDAC has seized fake drugs worth N1.2 billion market value of drugs.

The Director of investigation and enforcement and member of federal task force on fake drugs, Dr Martins Iluyomade who made this known while addressing journalists inside NAFDAC laboratory warehouse, lamented that despite efforts by NAFDAC DG in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive to rid the country of fake drugs, some people are still importing fake drugs into the country.

According to Iluyomade "as part of their efforts to deceive people,  the importer told NAFDAC officials who confronted his truck along Oshodi-Mile  2 expressway, told us the vehicle was loaded with only  spare-parts. But when enforcement officials trailed the vehicle to its destination, we discovered that the drugs were hidden among the  supposed vehicle spare parts.

"It so disheartening to be seeing these. Our operation is part of the follow up  of series of operations, which we started few months ago with raid of Aba, Onitsha and Idumota markets where we seized many drugs. And I  can assure you that we will not stop until the mandate from President Tinubu and NAFDAC DG to  save Nigerians from  menace of fake drugs is accomplised. You  can imagine how many people  would  have  died  if these were not quickly seized, especially as it came with fake three different tags bearing different labels, as the  label would have misled people into buying them as anti-malaria drugs.

"We shall not leave any stone unturned until we stamp out such."

Earlier, Pharmacist Florence Uba, who led the operation on August 29,  2025 told allcitynews.ng "We saw the long truck loaded with supposed vehicle spart  parts. But I decided to follow the vehicle to the warehouse keeping a distance with them to where they were offloading the supposed vehicle spare parts."

According Uba, "Though they tried to deceive us, telling us that it was merely spart parts, we however insisted in seeing the whole offloading of the truck and we saw these 277 cartons of the drugs that were inside the truck.

"On closer look, we saw they gave fake declaration receipt as the cartons carried different name, the packs of 277 carried  different names, the sachets of the drugs carried two different names and until we do Laboratory test,  we are yet to know  the exact contents of those sachets.

"We have here what they tagged  Diclofenac potassium enteric coated 50mg, Arthemeter/ lemufathrine 80/480 Mg-, Each tablet supposedly contains Arthemeter/ lemufathrine 80/480 Mg until it tested in the laboratory before we can know the exact content of the drugs."

But the importer who was at the laboratory during the briefing, Mr. Paul Chibuzor Uche, refused to talk to the press