From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) said on Sunday that it destroyed unwholesome drugs and other expired items worth N515, 732.587, which were confiscated in north east states of Gombe, Bauchi, Adamawa, Borno, Yobe and Taraba.
NAFDAC said the confiscation and destruction was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NNDLEA), DSS and community leaders.
NAFDAC resident media consultant, Sayo Akintola, in a statement, said the products destroyed included various quantities of medicines such as antibiotics, herbal remedied, psychoactive, and anti-diabetic.
He added: “Foods such as noodles, palm oil, vegetable oil, ogogoro (local Gin) non-alcoholic beverages, sachet water amongst other were parts of the products destroyed.
“Similarly, cosmetics such as creams, pomade, and chemicals such as fake insecticides, fertilizers were also destroyed. Medical devices such as disposable syringe, I.V given set, and Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs) as well as imported falsified packaging materials for counterfeiting various NAFDAC regulated products were also included.”
He said the exercise commenced with reception of the items from the North East zonal states of Gombe, Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Bauchi and Taraba. A total of 240.15 tons received from the states and additional 40 tons from GSK Pharma were doused with fuel and lighted with fire at noon on Saturday,” he said.
NAFDAC Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, was happy with the destruction, stating that the products destroyed could have found their way back to the markets with lots of consequence on the health of the people.
She, however, raised the alarm of fake COVID-19 vaccines circulating in Africa which could easily find its way to Nigeria. ‘’The public must be on the look out for those spurious and counterfeit vaccines and other regulated products’’, she said, adding that NAFDAC on its own part will ensure continuous surveillance of those products and shall continue to enforce the regulations governing these products in Nigeria’’.
Prof Adeyeye however, assured Nigerians of continued NAFDAC collaboration with other agencies and stakeholders in ensuring that the prescribed standards of identity, safety, quality, and efficacy of regulated products are met.
Meanwhile, Gombe State NDLEA Commander and SON Coordinator, Mrs. Sylvia Egwunwoke and Mrs. James Danlami Yakzum, respectively, commended NAFDAC for its untiring efforts to sanitize the country and rid it off products that could endanger lives of members of the public.
They pledged their support for NAFDAC in its efforts to safeguard the health of Nigerians.