The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has dismantled a major network of clandestine warehouses in Lagos State used for storing counterfeit and banned medicines, confiscating more than 10 million doses in a significant enforcement operation.
The raid, conducted around the Trade Fair–Navy axis, intercepted counterfeit drugs valued at over ₦3 billion, including critical emergency medicines and prohibited pharmaceutical products. Addressing journalists, NAFDAC’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement and Chairman of the Federal Task Force on Fake and Substandard Products, Mr. Martins Iluyomade, said the operation followed intelligence gathered during a training session on February 3. Suspicious activities in the area prompted a discreet investigation, leading to the discovery of multiple warehouse buildings disguised as residential homes.
“The structures were built to look like homes, but they were used exclusively for storing fake medicines. The area is largely deserted, which explains how the operators avoided detection for so long,” Iluyomade stated.
Authorities recovered large quantities of counterfeit injectable anti-malarials, antibiotics, sachet drugs, blister packs, and other medicines, including Analgin, a drug banned in Nigeria for over 15 years. Iluyomade described the haul as alarming, noting that many of the seized products were intended for emergency medical treatment.
“What we found should worry every Nigerian. These are not just fake supplements. These are life-saving injections used in critical cases such as cerebral malaria. When fake drugs are administered in such situations, the outcome can be fatal,” he said, adding that the counterfeits were highly sophisticated and sometimes indistinguishable from genuine products.
The confiscated items were evacuated using eight trailers loaded with assorted fake medicines and cosmetics. Preliminary investigations indicate the operation was linked to an international counterfeit drug syndicate, with collaborators both within and outside Nigeria.
“They clone original products by taking samples of genuine medicines, reproducing them abroad to near perfection, and reintroducing them into our distribution system. This is organised crime on a global scale,” Iluyomade explained.
He warned that Nigeria’s healthcare system is under serious threat from such activities and called on citizens to exercise caution when purchasing medicines. “If a drug is unusually cheap, don’t assume you’ve found a bargain. It could cost you your life,” he cautioned.
NAFDAC described the operation as a major victory for public health in Nigeria, ensuring that dangerous counterfeit products will not reach the public.
