Category: General News

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has handed over 120 wraps of cannabis and 68 cartons of Tramadol drugs smuggled into the country to officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and National Drug and Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Sokoto.

Mr Nasir Ahmad, the Customs Comptroller in charge of Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states, performed the handover ceremony on Tuesday, saying that the items were seized on Saturday at Kamba border in Kebbi.

Ahmad said the smuggled items were concealed in second-hand clothes.

He said that it was revealed during investigation that the suspects abandoned their vehicles after they were spotted by Customs officials.

He said that the cannabis was valued at N22 million, while Tramadol and Evergrip drugs was worth N20 million.

The comptroller described the activities of smugglers as very inimical to the nation’s economy.

According to him, many banditry and violent activities are often perpetrated under drug influence.

He advised smugglers to find legitimate means of livelihood and shun acts that undermined the nation’s economy.

Ahmad appealed to border communities to assist the agency with useful information that could help it to track down smugglers.

Mr Hamis Yahaya, NAFDAC Coordinator in Sokoto State,  and Mr Mustapha Ali-Baba, NDLEA Head of Narcotics, Sokoto State Command, commended the Customs Service for its efforts.

They expressed joy that the synergy that existed between their respective agencies and Customs had yielded fruitful results.

They urged Nigerians to support the fight against smuggling and consumption of illicit drugs, which they described as detrimental to human health and the nation’s economy. (NAN)

By Mustapha Sumaila

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says it has sanctioned two chemical companies for marketing calcium sulphate without listing certificate in Abuja.

The Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Moji Adeyeye, said this on Monday in Abuja.

Adeyeye explained that on Aug. 9, a team from the Investigation and Enforcement Directorate with armed police men as well as officers from CER-FCT sealed the warehouses of the two chemical companies.

She said the team also arrested the companies’ representatives who were taken to NAFDAC office for further action.

She said an inspection was conducted on the warehouses of Baruch Chemical Limited, Max and Bryan Company Limited and Jaji International Services Limited on March 29 and were found to be marketing Plaster of Paris (Calcium Sulphate) without listing certificates.

“They were then advised to report to NAFDAC office to initiate the process of obtaining listing certificates.

“As a result of their non-compliance, the companies were visited on 11th April 2018 for invitation to NAFDAC to intimate them on the process of obtaining listing certificate as chemical marketers but they refused to honour the invitation.

“When the Managing Directors of both companies were contacted on telephone through the phone numbers supplied by the company representatives, the managing director of Max and Bryan Company Limited was very furious.

“And he said he was not ready to listen to anybody and that we should stop disturbing the business that he has been in for the past 10 years,” said Adeyeye.

According to Adeyeye, NAFDAC FCT office, prepared warning letters for the two companies on 18th April 2018.

“But the letters could not be delivered at the period because of the industrial action that took place between 18th April and 4th June 2018,” she said.

Adeyeye said the companies were issued warning letters on June 6, but the managing director of Max and Bryan Company Limited instructed his manager not to receive any letter from NAFDAC on his behalf.

She disclosed that the managing director claimed that NAFDAC was doing illegal work to have visited his establishment.

“The managing director further threatened that if the NAFDAC team should visit again, he would write a petition against the team leader and NAFDAC,” Adeyeye said in a statement.

The NAFDAC boss said based on the threat and resistance, the Investigation and Enforcement Directorate was written on June 12 to take appropriate action against the offending establishments. (NAN)

By Austine Elegbede/Stanley Nwanosike

The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned that unregulated and unregistered herbal medicines can cause serious health damages.
The South-East Director of NAFDAC, Mrs Olajumoke Ojetokun, gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Tuesday.
Ojetokun noted that though herbal medicines were not bad, but advised that such drugs ought to be regulated and duly registered to ascertain the potency or otherwise of its contents.
She added that through regulation, the agency could also certify if ingredients were safe for human consumption especially for a period of time.
She also noted that the common claim by some herbal medicine dealers that a particular herbal medicine could cure all sickness was far from the truth.
“I am taken aback whenever I hear herbal medicine dealers claim that a particular herbal drug can cure all types of diseases which is not true.
“Herbal drug dealers capitalise on the psychology of Nigerians that one herbal medicine is capable of curing several diseases instead of having to buy various other drugs to cure each category of sickness.
“And because an average Nigerian sees this option as a way to cut cost, they opt for the herbal medicines not minding the implication of consuming the unregistered and unregulated herbal medicine,’’ she said.
However, Ojetokun said that ignorance and economic factors were responsible for the huge patronage of herbal medicines currently being witnessed across the country.
She also revealed that some herbal drug dealers were circumventing the certification process of products even when the procedures to register the herbal drugs had been simplified.
According to her, the circumvention of the certification processes by herbal medicine dealers is posing serious challenge to NAFDAC in terms of regulation and control.
“However, NAFDAC will not relent in her effort to curb the circulation and production of unregistered and unregulated herbal medicines as it has usually done.
“So, NAFDAC is appealing for the co-operation of all in its bid to rid the country of fake and unhealthy herbal drugs as unscrupulous individuals continue to devise new means of circulating these unwholesome products,’’ she said. (NAN)

By Habibu Harisu
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Sokoto State Office, has sanctioned 142 business premises and production industries for various offences including sale of counterfeits and adulterated products.

The State Coordinator, NAFDAC, Mr Hamis Yahaya, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Sokoto.

He explained that 29 of the culprits were bakeries using banned bromide substance and others were producers of sachet water, medicine stores and shops.

Yahaya said the state office partnered with other law enforcement agencies on code compliance of products, routines inspections and surveillance raids, noting that NAFDAC conducts sensitisation campaigns at public places and schools in metropolis and local government areas.

He explained that the state office has been educating public on the dangers of consuming counterfeits and adulterated products, adding that interactive meetings with stakeholders were also being conducted periodically.

The coordinator commended Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) for handing over consignment of Tramadol seized at the Nigerian border when a group tried to smuggle it into the country.

According to him, similar efforts were made in the past, saying that Nigerians should refrain from consuming Tramadol with 225mg and 200mg content as they are dangerous to health.

He said the product regulation content in Nigeria is 50mg and any content higher than that was counterfeit not suitable to regulated control production in Nigeria.

Yahaya added the agency enjoyed cordial working relationship with agro-allied foods and Veterinary medicine producers and dealers in the state as they were always prompt on adjusting to required control regulations at all times.

He pointed out that agro-allied foods and medicine producers and dealers should ensure proper production guidelines, have best storage systems and adhere to expiry date control and other regulations binding on the practices.

On exclusive breastfeeding, the coordinator said he led team to educated mothers at hospitals, nursing homes and orphanages across the state and advised parents to adhere to exclusive breastfeeding practice to ensure healthy children.

He also cautioned parents against patronising all forms of milk for their infants and urged people to always read content value, production and expiry dates, location of manufacturer and registration numbers of all products before buying.

Yahaya also advised people to always pour water, juice and other watery consumables in a cup before drinking, stressing that such practice would allow consumer to identify contamination and other physical contents presence in the product.

He called on people to always report any anomalies detected to NAFDAC office or nearest authorities for action, saying that safeguarding public health should be a collective responsibility of all citizens.

The coordinator said one codeine abuse related case and only two consumers complains on sachet water were recorded on bad or suspicious products this year.

Yahaya urged the people to cultivate the habit of reporting any products suspected to be counterfeit or adulterated to the agency. (NAN)

By Ifeanyi Olannye

Operatives of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Delta have raided a compound in Okpanam, near, Asaba where fake and unwholesome products are allegedly manufactured.

The NAFDAC State Coordinator, Jude Ndekile, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Asaba on Thursday.

Ndekile said: “when we stormed the compound, we noticed that a lot of illegal activities were going on. We arrested a suspect and recovered all the products with fake NAFDAC registration numbers.

“Some of the products recovered include, Oral Dental Teeth Bleach, Bodylab Chocolate, Bio-Sugar, Audrey Pink Lips Barm, Betimol, Froyz Chocolates, Slimming Tea, among others.”

He said that the labels of the fake products had no existing contact addresses adding that the raid followed a tip-off from some concerned residents.

Ndekile said that the team also recovered packaging materials, a sealing machine, labels and other items used by the suspect.

He said that for about three years now the agency had been on trail of Oral Dental Teeth Bleach but that at a point it disappeared from circulation.

He added: “when we noticed that the product returned to circulation, we began a follow-up investigation and based on tip-off from concerned citizens, we had to raid the area.

“The combined team that carried out the raid comprises the Federal Taskforce on Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Foods; NAFDAC Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, Lagos and the Delta Office.

He said that all the products had been evacuated from the place of production to NAFDAC office in Asaba, adding that the agency would follow up with mop-up of the products from the various sales outlets.

“Investigation is ongoing and will be seen to a logical conclusion, but I will advise the general public to be sure of the outlets where they buy their products.

“All major outlets must verify and insist on NAFDAC registration of the company or producer they are dealing with and whenever they are not sure, they must contact NAFDAC,” he said.(NAN)

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Tuesday alerted general public against consumption of TL Tan Lung and TLC brands of canned sardine.

The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Moji Adeyeye, gave the warning in Abuja.

Adeyeye explained that TL Tan Lung and TLC brands were produced by Chinese companies known as Fujian Yongfa Co. Ltd, and Dongshan Dongyi Food Co. Ltd., respectively.

She said that NAFDAC had been notified that the Malaysian Ministry of Health on April 20, 2018 in Kuala Lumpar Malaysia, recalled the two canned sardine products.

Adeyeye said that the products did not comply with the standards set by 1983 Food Act and was recalled due to presence of nematode parasitic worms in the products.

The director-general also cautioned all importers not to import the affected canned sardines into the country.

“Anybody in possession of the unwholesome canned sardines should submit them to the nearest NAFDAC Office.

“Consumers are encouraged to report all adverse events resulting from the use of these products to the nearest NAFDAC office,” she said. (NAN)