- The destroyed items included falsified medicines, unsafe food additives, expired beverages, counterfeit cosmetics, and substandard medical products
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has destroyed counterfeit and expired drugs, unwholesome food, and substandard products valued at ₦4.7 billion in Rivers State.
The agency’s Director-General, Christianah Adeyeye, supervised the exercise at a dumpsite in Aluu, Ikwerre Local Government Area, on Friday. Represented by the NAFDAC Director for the South-South Zone, Chukwuma Oligbu, she described the destruction as a firm statement of the agency’s commitment to safeguarding public health.
“These products, if allowed to circulate, could cause treatment failures, drug resistance, prolonged illnesses, and even loss of lives,” she said.
The destroyed items included falsified medicines, unsafe food additives, expired beverages, counterfeit cosmetics, and substandard medical products. Some of the items were confiscated from manufacturers and distributors, while others were voluntarily surrendered by companies, NGOs, and trade unions.
Adeyeye revealed that in July 2024, NAFDAC uncovered warehouses in Port Harcourt where expired alcoholic beverages were being re-labelled and reintroduced into circulation. The agency also seized unregistered vegetable oil and assorted cosmetics from Delta State, while the Nigeria Customs Service in Edo State handed over two 40-ft containers of substandard drugs for destruction.
Prince Obi Ohia, acting Sole Administrator of the Rivers State Waste Management Agency, praised NAFDAC’s efforts, saying the move would help reduce mortality rates and improve public health.
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