NAFDAC shuts 150 shops, destroys N5bn fake products

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has shut down 150 shops at Eziukwu Market in Abia State over fake and expired products worth N5 billion.

NAFDAC disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, December 18, 2024.

The agency said the shops were shut during a two-day operation on December 16 and 17, while products valued at N5billion were destroyed at the market.

NAFDAC stated: “The team uncovered large-scale production and distribution of fake and expired goods, including beverages, carbonated drinks, wines, spirits, vegetable oils, and revalidated food items such as noodles, powdered milk, and yoghurt.

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“The destroyed items were valued at N5 billion.”

Describing the market as a hub for counterfeit and substandard products, the Director of South-East Zone, Dr Martins Iluyomade, expressed dismay at the continued illegal activities, despite a previous undertaking signed by market leaders in December 2023 to expose counterfeiters.

The statement also quoted the NAFDAC Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, as reaffirming the agency’s “zero tolerance for such practices and emphasises its unwavering commitment to safeguarding public health while working toward a permanent solution to the problem of counterfeit products in the market.”

The Star