(Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, NAFDAC Director General, Stern, Firm and Courageous)
(NAFDAC Operatives in action)
– In Aba alone, NAFDAC raided over 240 shops turned factories where the harmful products were being produced and marketed,” the NAFDAC Boss disclosed.
– Prof. Adeyeye, the NAFDAC Boss, now fondly called – Nigeria’s Iron Lady, disclosed that the Cemetery market in Aba ”is popular, dreaded and is, hitherto, the safe haven for the largest cartel ring for the manufacture of fake wines and beverages in Africa.”
By Biola Lawal
For the teeming traders at the popular Eziukwu Market in Aba, Abia State, Monday, December 16, 2024 began like just another day. The sun rising peacefully and shining, its glow beaming down the buslling market. The usual huzzle and buzzle of the day was gathering momentum.
Little did any trader envisage that a looming nemesis was about to descend. A nemesis coming head-on against embedded evil, either-to thought untouchable, uncombatable, a no go area.
(NAFDAC Operatives on duty)
Suddenly, operatives of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), acting on firm directives from their Generalismo, Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, back at the Headquarters in Abuja, swooped on the unsuspecting traders.
Backed and Fortified with full force by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the NAFDAC operatives sternly and methodically seized and confiscated dangerous, counterfeited, fake and adulterated medicines, cosmetics and related substances.
Operating swiftly and firmly, the NAFDAC operatives shook Eziukwu Market. They confiscated various expired and fake products worth about N5 Billion during the operation which lasted two days – December 16 and 17, 2024 in Aba.
Tagged ”Operation Clean up Aba, NAFDAC
sealled the Cemetery Market, the Second Time in Two Years in the bold move to safeguard public health,. According to security sources, the Cemetery market in Aba was regarded as the most dreaded haven of wines and beverages counterfeiters.
(NAFDAC DG in a tough look, warns counterfeiters – No place to hide for agents of death)
Prof. Adeyeye, the NAFDAC Boss, now fondly called – Nigeria’s Iron Lady, disclosed that ”the Cemetery market is popular, dreaded and is, hitherto, the safe haven for the largest cartel ring for the manufacture of fake wines and beverages in Africa.”
(Prof. Adeyeye radiating happiness at the strings of NAFDAC operational successes against fake drug peddlers, etc)
Prof. Adeyeye said that the decisive enforcement operation was conducted on the Cemetery market as a crucial move to curb the circulation of fake and substandard wine and beverages in Nigeria.
The NAFDAC Boss noted that the December 2024 action ”is the most audacious since the history of the market with specific zones barricaded with iron welding and access gates locked”.
Commenting on the successful operation then, Dr. Martins Iluyomade, NAFDAC South -East Director, had described the Aba market as a hub for counterfeit and substandard products, and expressed dismay at then continued illegal activities, despite a previous undertaking signed by market leaders in December 2023 to expose counterfeiters.
The successful enforcement operation in Aba was a prelude to similarly tough and decisive ones undertaken by NAFDAC operatives in Onitsha, in Anambra State and Idumota in Lagos.
Around the same time, NAFDAC again successfully smashed an illegal factory producing unregistered cosmetic products in Iba area of Lagos. This followed Prof. Adeyeye’s Stern directive to NAFDAC offices nationwide to increase the tempo of the Agency’s battle against counterfeiters and adulterators of regulated products to safeguard public health.
The increased successes in Lagos was attributed also to improved and extensive surveillance intelligence efforts by operatives of the Agency,
While the heat was on. NAFDAC again struck in Abuja, sealing a Chinese supermarket for allegedly selling goods labelled in Chinese language without proper notification, among other infractions.
Around the same time, the Agency recorded another major success, shutting rice shops resulting in seizure of N5 billion counterfeit products in Nasarawa and Abuja.
In the Nasarawa and Abuja enforcement operations, NAFDAC shut down eight rice shops and a warehouse in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
The operation, which also extended to Wuse and Garki markets in Abuja, led to the seizure of over 1,600 bags of counterfeit rice valued at approximately N5 billion.
Officials uncovered counterfeit rice repackaged in branded bags, including popular names like Big Bull, Royal Stallion, and Tomato Aposo, designed to deceive consumers.
During the enforcement operation, led by Mr. Kenneth Azikiwe, Director of the FCT Directorate of NAFDAC, at the Karu facility, empty branded rice bags were also discovered.
Commenting further on the highly successful major Aba, Onitsha and Lagos operations, Prof. Adeyeye said that the operation, which was carried out in conjunction with a large contingent of the military, DSS and Nigeria Police personnel in a rare display of inter-agency cooperation, was a follow up to a similar raid enforced in December 2023.
‘:Some of the nefarious activities of the counterfeiters included the manufacturing of all kinds of adulterated products especially different kinds of wine from a wide variety of brands.
The faked products ranged from Seaman Schnapps, Henessy, Four Cousins Carlo Rossi, Jenney, Chelsea London Dry Gin, Schnapp Dry Gin, McDowells and Black Labels Gordons.
(NAFDAC Boss, the indefatigable, incorruptible)
Other counterfeited products were; Martell, Campari, Smirnoff ice, Eva Non-Alcoholic Drink, Evra Non-Alcoholic Drink, Cartel among others.
”As a consequence of the extensive operation, the agency raided over 240 shops turned factories where the harmful products were being produced and marketed,” the NAFDAC Boss disclosed.
”The shops turned factories are very filthy, using water from very unhygienic sources, harmful chemicals, saccharin, colouring, dirty recycled bottles and cloned packaging materials of other brands,” Prof. Adeyeye narrated.
”The adulteration of alcoholic beverages by criminal elements in the country is done by mixing of cheaper sources of sugar and starch besides grapes or fruit, among other harmful chemicals unsuitable for human consumption,” She stated.
Prof. Adeyeye stated further that over 1500 cartons of the fake and substandard products were destroyed during the operation.
”The street value of the confiscated and destroyed fake products in 2023 is estimated at over seven hundred and fifty million naira only. (N750,000,000),” She said, adding, however, that the estimated value of products mopped up during the December 16, 2024, operation is five billion naira.
(NAFDAC Operatives in action, often risking their lives to safeguard the health of Nigerians)
‘:The products being revalidated and mopped up included: Soft and carbonated drinks such as Fanta, Coca ColaSchweppes, Lacasera, Sprite, Hollandia Yoghurt, Super Commando Energy Drink, Feyrouz and Amstel Malta.
”Aside from drinks, notable fake home use beverages such as: Peak Sachet Milk, Cowbell Sachet Milk, Peak Chocolate Drink, Miksi Sachet Milk, Cadbury Chocolate Drink and Ovaltine adulterated versions,” Prof. Adeyeye disclosed.
Prior to the evacuation of the products by NAFDAC, they were being produced in the market and neatly packaged and sold to unsuspecting consumers, the NAFDAC Boss said.
Prof. Adeyeye had also, commended Governor Alex otti for his support saying;
”NAFDAC management appreciates the support from the Government of Abia state led by His Excellency Governor Alex Otti for his unwavering support for this project OPERATION CLEAN UP ABA”.
The Mayor of Aba south and the interim management committee of the market and other stakeholders have been working assiduously with NAFDAC on the project leading to another discovery of three major warehouses stockpiling expired HOLLANDIA YOGHURT for revalidation on the 22nd of January 2025, She had disclosed.
”NAFDAC wishes to assure the public of her determination to safeguard the health of the nation and enjoins the general public to report any suspected fake and substandard regulated product to the nearest NAFDAC office,” Prof. Adeyeye stressed.
commentator on social media (X) simply identified as Bamiji, had commended the NAFDAC efforts, urging it to always publicize the names of culprits apprehended.
He wrote:
‘:Can you (NAFDAC) pls be posting the full info of those culprits like EFCC is doing? Including their snapshot. This is getting too much.
‘:We need to let them and their family know the gravity of what they are doing.
I mean a lot of lives are endangered from such consumption.”
After the dust has settled in all the theatre of NAFDAC enforcement operations, Prof. Adeyeye declared that over 2500 traders with 3500 shops who have come forward for necessary regulatory procedure and paid the investigative charges have resumed their normal activity in Ogbogwu market. There is unconditional opening of shops.
She said that NAFDAC would 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. NA FDAC: Safeguarding the Health of the Nation (FLOWERBUDNEWS)
About Flowerbudnews
Established by Hon. Biola Lawal, a former Acting Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), FLOWERBUDNEWS is a consortium of active veteran journalists, experienced Multimedia broadcast experts and image makers. We are drawn from both public and private sectors of Nigeria’s media Industry with a common determination to enhance the practice of responsible journalism..
Lawal, on his part, is also a former Honourable Commissioner for Information,Youth, Sports and Culture of Osun state, his home state.
Biola Lawal had also successfully served two tenures as Press Secretary to the ECOMOG Force Commander in Liberia during the Liberian and Sierra Leone Civil wars. He was an outstanding NAN Defence and War Correspondent for many years.
The retired NAN Acting Boss holds the honour of being the only journalist that served two terms on the ECOMOG international assignment due to his high professionalism and decency.
He is a Co-Author of the book; ECOMOG, A BOLD ATTEMPT AT REGIONAL m l! Edited Mrs Magaret Voght. The book remains the most. factual, detailed and authentic book on the ECOWAS sponsored ECOMOG Military operation.
