NAFDAC arrests 66 drug hawkers in 10 months, destroyed over N16bn naira drugs

The National Agency for Foods and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) said it has arrested no fewer than 66 drug hawkers across the nation.

This is even as the agency on Thursday destroyed expired and fake goods worth over N16bn (sixteen billion naira) in sagamu, Ogun state

The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, who stated this, said 66 arrests were recorded from 50 raids across the country since January this year.

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Adeyeye, represented by the NAFDAC Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Francis Ononiwu, said drugs such as antimalarials, codeine, cough syrups, aphrodisiacs, tramadol capsules, analgesics, and antibiotics worth N8 million were seized from people who hawked drugs on the street.

She recalled NAFDAC’s arrest of a suspect, Sunday Chibuike, who produced and sold unregistered alcoholic beverages.

The suspect, according to her, was concocting alcoholic drinks laced with substances suspected to be cannabis sativa and other harmful ingredients.

The alcoholic drink, Adeyeye disclosed, was packaged and sold as Japata Bitters in the Iyana-Ipaja area of Lagos State.

The NAFDAC boss urged Nigerians to shun drug peddlers and patronise registered medicine stores in order to avoid the harmful effects of unregistered drugs.