NAFDAC uncovers ‘death warehouses’ stocked with fake drugs in Lagos

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has uncovered what it described as one of the largest counterfeit drug operations in recent years, seizing more than 10 million doses of fake and banned medicines hidden in warehouses across Lagos State.

Speaking to journalists, NAFDAC’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement and Chairman of the Federal Task Force on Fake and Substandard Products, Martins Iluyomade, said the discovery followed intelligence gathered during a training meeting on February 3, which flagged suspicious activity around the Trade Fair–Navy area of the state.

According to him, officials raided the location and found several warehouse structures disguised as residential buildings but used strictly for storing illegal pharmaceutical products.

“The area is deserted and not somewhere people normally go, which likely allowed them to operate without attracting attention,” Iluyomade said.

Inside the warehouses, operatives recovered large quantities of counterfeit and banned medicines, including injectable anti-malarials, antibiotics, sachet drugs, blister packs and Analgin, a painkiller banned in Nigeria for more than 15 years.

Iluyomade described the find as alarming, noting that many of the seized products were life-saving drugs commonly used in emergency treatments.

“These are not ordinary medicines. They include injections used in critical cases like cerebral malaria. If fake versions are administered, it could mean death for patients,” he said, adding that the counterfeit products were so sophisticated that even manufacturers sometimes struggle to differentiate them from genuine ones.

NAFDAC estimated the street value of the confiscated items at over ₦3 billion. Eight trailers loaded with fake medicines and cosmetics were evacuated from the site.

The agency said the operation appeared to be run by an international syndicate that clones genuine products by copying original samples, reproducing them abroad, and reintroducing them into Nigeria’s supply chain through local collaborators.

He warned that counterfeit drug networks are increasingly organised and profit-driven, posing a serious threat to public health and legitimate pharmaceutical brands.

Iluyomade also cautioned consumers against purchasing unusually cheap medicines, stressing that low prices could signal dangerous counterfeits.

“If a drug is suspiciously cheap, it may not be a bargain. It could cost you your life,” he said.