*The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control cautions Nigerian consumers against patronising sellers of children cereals, or other dairy products removed from their primary packaging, as sources of such falsely-packed products cannot be guaranteed for human consumption

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

Warning unsuspecting consumers to refrain from purchasing unpacked cereals, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) disclosed it uncovered two warehouses loaded with N3billion worth of counterfeit drugs and children鈥檚 cereals picked from dump sites at the Trade Fair Complex, in Lagos.

绿帽献妻 reports Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General of the health regulatory agency, stated this development during a press conference Friday, November 19, 2021, at the NAFDAC Administrative Office, in Isolo, Lagos.

Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General of NAFDAC

The NAFDAC Chief cautioned the unsuspecting members of the public to refrain from purchasing unpacked cereals in the markets.

Of the details of the seized fake products, Prof. Adeyeye said that the unwholesome nutriments included children cereals and dairy foods.

The Director-General listed counterfeit products to include 10 cartons of Tramadol 225mg; 1,200 cartons of banned Analgin Injection (2.5g/5ml); 2,200 cartons of banned Codeine in Syrup and suspected fake 500 cartons of Azmal; Artemether Injection.

There are 534 cartons plus 300 packets of Binomial; Artesunate Injection; 188 cartons of Hydra and Black Cobra (sildenafil citrate 200mg); and 198 cartons of Super Artesunate Injection among others were discovered and evacuated, said Adeyeye.

She also noted although over 20 truckloads of offensive products were evacuated from the two locations in Lagos, the importer is still at large as of the time of the media briefing.

Adeyeye said: 鈥淭he officers of investigation and enforcement directorate of NAFDAC and the Federal Task Force on Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods raided the two warehouses where multiple cartons of banned drugs were discovered and evacuated.

鈥淭he banned and falsified drugs in the warehouses owned by one Chuka (Akuamia), who is still at large, is estimated to be worth over N3 billion. The products were stored at temperatures above 40掳C which ordinarily would denature some of the active ingredients….鈥�

The NAFDAC Director-General lamented the agency also discovered some counterfeit products are brought into the country through a system known as 鈥淕roupage鈥�.

She described groupage as 鈥渁 system where more than two persons load containers with different items from the country of origin.鈥�

However, in order to deal with the incidence of 鈥榝ood fraud鈥�, Adeyeye disclosed that the regulatory agency has begun raid operations with tremendous success already recorded in the country.

Adeyeye further said: 鈥淭he sources of these various falsely packed cereals and dairy products cannot be verified and therefore NAFDAC cannot guarantee the safety of the products for consumption.

鈥淒uring one of our operations, a suspect declared that the CocoPops, CornFlakes and Oats being displayed for sale in transparent nylons were sourced from LAWMA waste disposal trucks before repackaging into transparent nylons.鈥�

NAFDAC, therefore, cautioned the public 鈥渁gainst patronising sellers of cereal or other products that have been removed from their primary packaging.

鈥淣AFDAC is particularly painful because infants and children are the target and the ultimate victims of such wicked and evil activities.鈥�

As the agency has commended raids of markets and supermarkets with the aim of mopping up unregistered products, she urged the general public to report counterfeit products to the NAFDAC office or via phone call.

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