Kano seizes fake drugs worth N200m in joint crackdown

The Kano State Government has seized counterfeit medicines valued at over N200 million from within the metropolis in a joint operation targeting the circulation of unapproved drugs.

The raid was conducted by the State Committee on Motor Parks and Other Public Places in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Nigeria Immigration Service.

A statement issued by the Ministry of Information and Internal Affairs’ Director of Public Enlightenment, Balarabe Abdullahi-Kiru, said the confiscated products had no certification from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control and were recovered following credible intelligence.

The committee’s chairman, Maj. Adamu Abubakar-Usman (Rtd), who led the operation, said the drugs were found stored in an abandoned building under intense heat and poor sanitary conditions. He warned that the lack of NAFDAC approval made the products especially dangerous to vulnerable populations, including women and children, and that improper storage further degraded their safety and efficacy.

He pledged to sustain collaboration with security and regulatory agencies to halt the distribution of fake drugs and ensure those responsible face prosecution.

The governor’s Special Adviser on Policy and Special Development, Dr Danyaro Ali-Yakasai, urged residents to verify medicines before purchase and report suspected dealers to authorities, reiterating the government’s zero tolerance for activities threatening public health.

NDLEA Kano Command’s Assistant Commander of Narcotics, Ya’u Malam-Yakubu, said the seized items included cartons of various unapproved products alongside empty packaging materials.