The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has launched an investigation into suspected serious adverse reactions, including deaths, linked to the use of Fortcef Injection, an antibiotic administered to patients in healthcare facilities.
The investigation followed reports of patients developing severe reactions after receiving the intravenous drug, with NAFDAC confirming that three fatalities had so far been reported from multiple healthcare facilities.
The agency’s investigation comes after a female whistleblower, who identified herself as Nurse Lucy, alleged in a video circulating on social media that four patients died at the National Hospital, Abuja, after receiving the drug.
However, the National Hospital confirmed that Fortcef had been administered to patients at the facility but said its internal clinical surveillance identified two deaths associated with the drug, rather than four.
An internal clinical surveillance memo dated September 10, 2026, and signed by the hospital’s Director of Clinical Services and Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee, Dr O. Lawal, said two adult patients died after receiving Fortcef procured from outside the hospital.
The memo stated that the patients had been “otherwise relatively stable” before the drug was administered.
According to the document, the incidents occurred on August 24 and September 9, 2026.
Following the incidents, the hospital directed clinicians to increase surveillance when administering ceftazidime brands sourced from outside the hospital, particularly Fortcef Injection 1g, batch number PFZIE001.
The implicated batch was manufactured in May 2025 and has an expiry date of April 2028.
The hospital said its Pharmacovigilance Committee had identified the incidents as serious adverse drug reactions and instructed healthcare workers to promptly report any suspected reactions.
It also said the cases had been reported to NAFDAC.
NAFDAC flags two batches
In a classified safety communication dated September 14, 2026, NAFDAC alerted pharmacies and hospitals nationwide to reports of acute reactions following administration of Fortcef Injection.
The agency said reports had been received from healthcare facilities in multiple locations and involved symptoms including vomiting, chest pain, confusion, loss of consciousness, restlessness, gasping, flaccidity and unresponsiveness.
NAFDAC said three fatalities had been reported among the cases currently under investigation.
Two batches of Fortcef Injection — PFZIE001 and OFZIE001 — have so far been implicated in the reports received by the regulator.
Fortcef Injection contains 1g of ceftazidime, a third-generation cephalosporin antibiotic used to treat serious bacterial infections, including infections affecting the lungs, urinary tract, bloodstream, skin and soft tissues, bones and joints.
The drug is administered intravenously by trained healthcare professionals, usually in hospitals and other clinical settings.
The investigation is expected to establish whether the reported deaths and adverse reactions were caused by the implicated batches of Fortcef, the underlying medical conditions of the patients, administration-related factors or other causes.
Until the investigation is concluded, the reported figures remain subject to verification.
While the National Hospital has confirmed two deaths following administration of the drug at its facility, NAFDAC’s wider investigation currently covers reports from multiple healthcare facilities and has identified three fatalities among the cases under review.
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