The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has alerted Nigerians to new dimensions being employed by certain unscrupulous individuals to pull the wool over the eyes of innocent members of the public and attempt to circumvent the intensified efforts of the agency to crush illicit drug distribution and sale across the country.

NAFDAC said that following the extensive profiling of distributors of drugs and related products recently, particularly in and around the Ogbo-Ogwu Market in Onitsha, Anambra State, some stores and business outlets in the market have been deserted and their owners and operators apparently gone into hiding.

It said that the agency has uncovered a hideout near Asaba, the Delta State capital, where expired drugs were repackaged with new but fake expiry date meant to deceive even some careful members of the public who might be aware of the new tricks, including cleaning the old label and instructions with chemical substances and putting new labels.

Briefing newsmen in Asaba on the illicit drug ‘factory’, which was discovered in a two-storey residential building still under construction in Azagba-Ogwashi community in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State, NAFDAC identified the suspect as one Ekene Emmanuel Igwe.

According to NAFDAC’s Director, South-East Zone, Dr Martins Iluyomade, the Agency had to arrest one Blessing Igwe, wife of the suspect who was found with the offending fake, expired and counterfeit drugs in the building as the husband was still at large.

Iluyomade disclosed that some of the drugs, including a large volume of vials of anti-malaria and antibiotic injectables, had expired since about seven years but were being rebranded for the drug market in Onitsha while others were counterfeit.

Some of the recovered fake and counterfeit drugs also included expired 280mg Gentamycin injectables banned by the Nigeria Government about ten years ago, he said, warning Nigerians to be wary of the antics of criminally minded businessmen who often instigate innocent people against NAFDAC whenever the Agency clamped down on “the merchants of death” in the drugs distribution sector in the country.

Dr. Iluyomade hinted the storey building used for the illicit drug manufacturing and repackaging of expired drugs might be sealed or seized by NAFDAC in line with the agency’s determination to sanitize the drug and food manufacturing cum distribution industry in the country. 

The NAFDAC zonal director lamented: “I feel very sad for our country and the kind of things that are playing out. Only God knows how many people have died from consumption of the illicit drugs produced by these merchants of death who are looking for money at all cost and perpetrating these heinous crimes using all manners and avenues, including inciting the public against what NAFDAC is doing; using ill-gotten money after killing a lot of people. 

“Nigerians need to be very vigilant, and they must support NAFDAC in its fight against illicit drug business in the country. 

“The prime suspect at large is one of the major traders at Ogbo-Ogwu Bridge Head Drug Market in Onitsha, who has been in this illicit drug business.

“What these drug merchants have done, since they knew that Ogbo-Ogwu Market is no longer safe for their illicit drug business, is that they have moved out to neighbouring palaces like Asaba, using uncompleted buildings, re-labelling injectables that expired far back seven years ago. 

“This issue of illicit drug business has been on for several years, and there has not been any solution. This time, NAFDAC is coming forward with solution t make sure that Nigerians are safe, and we are able to safeguard the health of the public.”

Deputy Director, South-South/South-East zones of NAFDAC (Investigation and Enforcement) and the Federal Government Task Force on Counterfeit Drugs and Unwholesome Foods, Mr. Babatunji Omoyeni, led journalists to the illicit drug factory, with occupants of the ground floor including children and the mother-in-law of the prime suspect, Ekene Igwe.

Nonetheless, he hinted that the agency had successfully tracked a drug shop at Ogbo-Ogwu, Bridge Head Market in Onitsha where illicit drugs produced were sold to unsuspecting buyers.

He revealed that efforts were being intensified to track the prime suspect while the arrested wife, who is suspected of being deeply involved in the husband’s illicit business, would be arraigned in court soon to answer charges before over her involvement in the illicit drug business.

The injectables recovered from the two-storey building include eight packs of expired Chloroquine Phosphate, which expired in August 2018 and 35 amps of Engometrin that expired in July 2020.

Other injectables recovered by NAFDAC include 30 amps of Petazine;, 70 amps of Gentamycin; 200 packs of unexpired (counterfeit) Chloroquine Please; 35 amps of Engometrin; 50 amps of People; 3000 amps of unidentified injection vials wrapped with papers; 1300 printed packs of drugs (injection), two pairs of Sumec generators; and, one drum containing nails soaked in-liquid substances.