The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) said it confiscated unwholesome and unregistered drugs worth over N14 billion between January and August 2017.
Director, Investigation and Enforcement of NAFDAC, Kingsley Ejiofor, who disclose this in an exclusive interview with SHIPS & PORTS DAILY in Lagos on Wednesday, said the agency has over 64 cases pending in various courts within the review period.
“Just last month, we destroyed some consignments of counterfeit drugs worth over N3 billion. Some of them were voluntarily forfeited, some as a result of court conviction and some were handed over to us by Customs. So we have destroyed so much.
“There was another we had in the first quarter of this year, 11 container load of counterfeit medicine with a street value of N11 billion. We don’t only destroy but we prosecute,” he said.
Ejiofor who is also the Chairman, Federal Taskforce on Fake and Counterfeit Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Food of the agency, said the collaboration between NAFDAC and NCS has enhanced its operation in curtailing the influx of unwholesome drugs in the country.
“We have the incidence of Tramadol all over the place and Really Extra and Diclofenac and all manner of pictorials they (Customs) handed over to us a couple of months ago. You cannot vouch for those drugs because they are not registered. Even with the way they appear, you will know that these are counterfeit and falsely labeled products. So, I don’t think we can have it better than this with Customs. The collaboration has been wonderful and of course, we need them,” he said.
The NAFDAC Director warned persons involved in the importation and sale of fake drugs, saying anyone caught would face the wrath of the law.
He also called on the National Assembly to pass into law the NAFDAC bill seeking life jail term for drug counterfeiters to deter perpetrators and help strengthen the agency’s fight against counterfeiting.