The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has dismantled a network of covert warehouses used to stockpile counterfeit and banned medicines in Lagos State.
The agency said the operation led to the interception of more than 10 million doses of fake drugs, including critical emergency medicines, describing it as “one of the worst counterfeit medicine operations in recent years”.
Speaking to journalists in Lagos, NAFDAC’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement and Chairman of the Federal Task Force on Fake and Substandard Products, Mr Martins Iluyomade, said the raid followed intelligence gathered during a training session held on 3 February.
“Acting on information from that meeting, our team visited the location and found multiple warehouse structures built like residential houses but used solely for storage. The area is deserted, not somewhere people normally go, which is likely why they operated undetected,” Iluyomade said.
He said the warehouses contained large quantities of counterfeit injectable anti-malarials, antibiotics, sachet drugs and blister packs, as well as banned substances such as Analgin, which has been outlawed in Nigeria for more than 15 years.
Reacting to the discovery, Iluyomade warned of the danger posed by the fake products. “What we discovered should make every Nigerian cry. These were not just fake vitamins. These were life-saving medicines — injections used in emergency cases like cerebral malaria. When fake injections are used in such situations, it becomes a death sentence.
“It is extremely difficult to distinguish the fake from the original. Even product owners sometimes struggle to tell the difference. That is how sophisticated these criminals have become,” he stated.
NAFDAC said the seized products, estimated to be worth over ₦3 billion, were evacuated in eight trailers loaded with assorted fake medicines and cosmetics.
“This is a major breakthrough for Nigeria and Nigerians. These products will not enter circulation,” he said.
According to him, investigations indicate that the operation was run by an international criminal network.
“They clone original products. They take samples of genuine medicines, reproduce them abroad to near perfection, and push them back into our distribution chain. This is organised crime involving collaborators both inside and outside Nigeria,” he said.
Warning of the impact on public health, Iluyomade added: “The country is under siege by people who want to make money at all costs, even if it means killing fellow citizens and destroying reputable brands.”
He also cautioned Nigerians against buying unusually cheap medicines, saying: “If a drug is unusually cheap, don’t think you’ve found a bargain. It could cost you your life.”
