The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) disposed of counterfeit and expired goods valued at over N16 billion in Sagamu, Ogun, on Thursday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that this operation occurred at the Oke-Diya dumpsite.

During her address, the Director-General of the agency, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, emphasized that this action is part of NAFDAC’s renewed commitment to eradicating unsafe regulated products to protect public health.

Adeyeye, who was represented by the agency’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Mr. Francis Ononiwu, stressed that this disposal was crucial to prevent the reintroduction of these products into the market.

The items included substandard and counterfeit medical products, unwholesome processed food additives, unsafe cosmetics, counterfeits, and other products regulated by NAFDAC.

She further said that some of the products were seized by the agency from manufacturers, importers and distriburtors.

“Also up for destruction today are damaged and expired products, voluntarily handed over to the agency by compliant companies, trade unions and non-governmental organisations.

“NAFDAC has been charged with the responsibility of ensuring that the health of the nation is safegurded.

“As such, it is committed to eliminating expired medical products, ilicit drugs, unwholesome foods, chemicals and other violative products,” she said.

Adeyeye said that no fewer than 66 arrests had been made from about 50 raids carried out by the agency against hawkers of drugs across the nation since the beginning of the year.

She also said that products, like codeine, cough syrups, tramadol capsules, aphrodisiacs, analgesics, antibiotics and antimalaria drugs, worth N8 million, peddled by hawkers, had also been confiscated by the agency during the same period.

She recalled a recent arrest of one Sunday Chibuike, who was charged to court by the agency for producing unregistered alcoholic beverages.

She said that Chibuike was concocting alcoholic drinks laced with marijuana and other harmful ingredients, which were packaged and sold as Japata bitters in Iyana-Ipaja area of Lagos State.

“This act is extremely callous and worrisome because of the health implications which includes pseudo hallucination, impairement of reflexes, acute psychosis, altered brain development and impaired motor coordination, among others.

She, therefore, appealed to Nigerians to shun drug peddlers on the streets and patronise registered medicine stores.

“I hereby appeal to community leaders, religious leaders, health practitioners, newsmen and others to continue to educate their wards and family members to desist from patronising quacks and peddlers of medicine on the streets.”