Come and sign your undertaking NAFDAC calls on violators

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has opened up access for those who have violations to come sign their undertakings, saying, "We are waiting for them now to come ". 

"We are giving them undertaking because they violated our rules, Good distribution practices, good storage practices, they violated, and they will be sanctioned for that, but we promise not to close them down unless it is a very, very serious violation ".

The DG NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye made the call at a news briefing in Lagos while explaining with dismay how banned coding, tramadol and a killer Tafrodol, imported by an Indian company were discovered and seized and giving an update on the just concluded raids carried out by the agency on Fake and Substandard drugs in the major drug markets in the country. 

According to her, "We screened about 10,000 shops in all, 327 in Lagos. 1,289 in Aba and about 6,000 in Onitsha ".

She noted that to check the menace,  the Ministry of Health mandated NAFDAC and PCN to ensure that there is a coordinated process centre in Aba, Onitsha, Lagos, and Kano. " The one for Kano has been built, and on February 16th last year, we started forcing them to move because they didn't want to move". Adeyeye

 

However, "they are in the process of building the one in Lagos. It will take a while. And part of what we did after this enforcement is to give them an undertaking that we cannot close you down unless you have very serious violations. She stated

 

For Lagos, " it has been a long process. In terms of the special purpose vehicles that work with the government to get to where they are now ".

Because Lagos has the Special Purpose Vehicle already being built, the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria, PCN, is working directly with that Special Purpose Vehicle to sign their undertaking.

It has to be sustained. NAFDAC goes after good storage and distribution practices. PCN goes after the site license and practitioner license.

Unlike what we have seen now, "we didn't have time to do enforcement before moving the shops because it was directly a result of a court case that we started moving. " But we have a strong post-marketing surveillance office all over the country, adding that " it was during post-marketing surveillance, that was how we were able to find out that four medicines meant for children have zero content in them.

 

Professor Mojisola stated that there had been complaints about the length of time given to them, but she emphasized " Yes, we're going to renew every six months So that they know that we're watching them like a hawk".

 

"Because of us. Because of the medicine we take. We don't want to ruin any trade.

 In fact, that's the last thing on our minds. We want to facilitate trade". She revered.

 

But not at the detriment of the health of our people. For the other, the same thing, there's going to be a Special Purpose Vehicle that will be working with the state government to build. But we cannot close all of them down. "

 

So that is just the reality of that. The new central, have we arrested others? In fact, I think it was yesterday or two days ago, the second person had been arrested. When you are doing an investigation, you have to use intelligence.- she concluded 

 

For the central drug market, she informed everyone that" they cannot take anything that is not approved, "they will not be allowed to take any medicine there that was not approved, adding that there is nothing wrong with trade, trade fosters, GDP and whatnot.

 

" We are all for that. But it has to be good medicine that is what is supposed to be done for trading",  she insisted

NAFDAC warns against contracting business with fake consulting firms ... reinforces architecture to check fraud

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, says it has strengthened the activities of the Investigation, Enforcement, and Federal Task Force by reconstituting the architecture and increasing the number of Investigating Police Officers of the Police Squad and Mobile Police attached to the Agency.

To this end, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare will inaugurate the reconstituted Federal Task Force and the State Task Forces to complement the Agency's activities in the States.

The Director General of NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola, who made this known at a news briefing in Lagos, warned members of the public not to do business with any company that parades itself as a consulting firm for product registration. 

Explaining in detail an incident, the D-G said, Mr Ikoro Mang Ifendu of 26, Park Road, Aba Abia State, born on the 2nd of January, 1973, was arrested on the 7th of February 2025 at Ogborn Hills, Aba, Abia State in a case of alleged fraud and obtaining huge funds by false pretence from unsuspecting foreigners that cuts across various countries as a NAFDAC Staff, a native of Amamba Village, Abiriba in Ohafia LGA, Abia State, " stating that, his level of education is SSCE and deals in clothing materials. "The suspect is in our custody and is cooperating with the investigation ".

According to her, the case was reported by Thani Almaeeni Trading Group, Abu Dhabi, UA, E following their application to register Dry Fish (Seafood). " Thani Almaeeni Trading Group, Abu Dhabi, UAE, and other companies from various countries fell victim to the fraud. 

In a petition from Thani Almaeeni Trading Group reported to NAFDA, C the possible impersonation of the fraudsters as NAFDAC’s official using the NAFDAC’s letterhead and name, she continued, the fraudsters headed by Mr. Ikoro Mang Ifendu duped the company of thousands of dollars and millions of naira.

" These fraudsters or syndicates operate in a three-pronged scheme involving the Buyer, Bank, and Lawyer. Initially, the buyer contacts foreign companies to purchase and import goods into Nigeria. Subsequently, they introduce these companies to any of these banks for payment. The bank then declares that due to the lack of NAFDAC approval, foreign companies are unable to export to Nigeria.

Explaining further, " a legal counsel is introduced to the companies, claiming that they can obtain NAFDAC Certificate through this lawyer. The lawyer then receives payments in stages and issues fraudulent receipts and counterfeit NAFDAC certificates to the companies.

Our investigation revealed that the Group operates Fifteen (15) Domiciliary and Five (5) Local Accounts in seven (7) Nigerian Banks, stressing that, "The Account in one of the Banks has a BVN that is being used by the two key members of the Group, Ikoro Mang Ifendu and Rosemary Obosi. The exact number of the Accounts has not been established, because the suspect had deleted some of the Accounts and the alert messages ". Mojisola

Professor Adeyeye The tentative cumulative inflow from different victims into the Domiciliary Accounts in Nigeria is estimated to be over  950,000 USDD, while the sum of  450,000 USDD is the estimated inflow into the accounts held offshore in Cotonou, Benin Republic. 

Unfortunately, " the unsuspecting foreigners are still sending monies into the Account., " Just before this press conference, an Alert of $ 7,000 was received in one of the Domiciliary Accounts ". She said

The D-G gave more details on the fraudulent documents: " The documents issued to the client (Thani Almaeeni Trading Group) that exposed the scam are as follows:

i. Certificate of Registration of Dried Fish (Seafood) with NAFDAC Registration No A2-7059 issued to Thani Almaeeni Trading Group, Unit 7, Building 2, Sector M-36, Musaffah Sector - M36, Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates issued on 16th December 2024 and to expire on 15th December 2029. This number has never been issued by NAFDAC.

ii. Revenue Receipt referenced “Original Receipt” issued to different victims or companies

a. No: F4186, N6, 687, 000.00 issued to Thani Almaeeni Trading Group, Abu Dhabi, UA, E and dated 28/11/2024

b. No. F9263, N20, 900, 000. 00 issued to Thani Almaeeni Trading Group, Abu Dhabi, UA, dated 13/12/202,4, and

c. No. F4186, N6, 819, 200. 00 issued to LILY BEE LTD, 21 LYNEDOCH STREET, INDUSTRIAL ESTATE GREENOCK SCOTLAND PAIG, 4AX, UNITED KINGDOM dated 28/112024.

iii. RE: PROCESSING REQUIREMENTS, of USD 13, 785, 00 and purportedly signed by a former Director who had retired a year earlier (XXXXXXXX as DIRECTOR-GENERAL NAFDAC). dated December 3rd, 2024

iv. Document of Swift Advice Copy of $1,990.00 with Rosemary Obosi as Beneficiary Customer dated 27th November 202, (details are in the document)

v. Document of Swift Advice Copy of, 000.00 with Mang Ifendu Ikoro as the Beneficiary Customer dated 12th December 2024 (details are in the document)

vi. CITYCODE Savings & Loans 5, Tinubu Street CTO Building Lagos Island, Lagos State Nigeria with Telegraphic Transfer of USD132, 972. 84, dated 24th December 2024. The document gave details of the process of transferring the stated amount.

vii. Other documents used to defraud unsuspecting foreigners by the fraudsters are the letterheads of the fraudster,s namely.

a. MANG IFENDU IKORO (HALI & CO CHAMBERS, Legal Practitioners and Solicitors), and

b. ROSEMARY OBOSI (HALI & CO CHAMBERS, Legal Practitioners and Solicitors

Details of some of the foreign companies that were defrauded of thousands of foreign currencies aside from Thani Almaeeni Trading Gro, as extracted from the suspect’s one, are listed below:

i. Vicky Sales Assistant, Japan Long Tie (China) Co Limited, 245 Jingliu Road, Jinan, China for the importation of Condoms.

ii. BEYOND- Korea 711, Julie Rivers DR. USA

iii. Aquaforest SP, Brzesko, Poland for registration and importation of Drinks and Vegetable Oil

iv. Vincenzo Frecentese CEO, Nomea srl for registration of products with NAFDAC

v. Tianyan Filter Cloth Co. Ltd, Gonghexin Road, Jingan District, Shanghai, China

vi. Siam Canadian China Ltd, Frozen Onion Spices, Zhanjiang Guangdong, China

After exhausting the link to falsification of NAFDAC regulated products, this case will be transferred to EFCC for further investigation. This is to expand the investigation to other areas that are not within the mandate of NAFDAC. 

The investigation will also invoke POCA on all the assets illegally acquired in the course of the fraudulent activities.

Drug shops in Idumota Lagos under lock.... as NAFDAC rids the market of fake and substandard drugs

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC has again called on members of the public to report any bad medicine to the agency for immediate action. 

The Director - General, NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye made the call while raiding the Idumota Drug market of fake, unregistered and counterfeit drugs. 

She said, the essence is to control the selling of medicines that are injurious to health especially the unapproved ones. 

According to her, " we have over 5000   open market shops in the country, adding that they not supposed to be open, they are supposed to be in what is called, "  Coordinated WholeSale Center " we are going to get there in Onisha, Aba and Lagos " she promised 

The DG emphasized that, there must be control because the health of the people matter, hence the need for the 7 days lock up exercise. 

" You and I matter, we are not individual that could be killed immediately because of bad medicine and we have to be very very sensitive about this. " The medicine you are taking must make you well, not kill you". If you get a medicine and it's not making you well, call NAFDAC, " we would  trace it, we would track it". Adeyeye 

"If it is bad medicine, it will kill you, it will kill a child, many people have died in this country because of bad medicine, but enough is enough ". she warned.

The Director, Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, NAFDAC, Mr  Shaba Mohammed, said the operations which started some days ago, were being carried out in three major open drug markets in the country.

Mohammed said, "Today's operation is about substandard medical products in Nigerian market, On Sunday night, " we sealed the three major open drug markets in the country, Idumota drug market, Bridget drug market in Onitsha and Ariaria drug markets in Aba ", noting that, " we have all the securities, military police, SS and pharmacy Council of Nigeria, along with NAFDAC staff working in those markets ".

" No time is too late for any action taken against counterfeit,  before now, we were involved in so many investigations, and we come to all these markets and seize products, but we are doing this now so that we'll be able to remove virtually all counterfeit products in the store in those markets, because they are the hub of distribution of over 80% of drug needs in the country ". he explained 

In the same vain, the Deputy Director Investigation and Enforcement in Charge of team two and three, Mrs Florence Ubah, said, "So we are screening this shop, and the owner of the shop is the head of the tax force, as he claimed". 

 " Although confirmed by other tax force members, yesterday, some people were trying to run out of the market with these cartons, here, they are about 14 in number. So when the tax force came along, they ran away, and they couldn't apprehend them, but they were able to pick the products, and because they didn't have anywhere to put them, because it was already late, he had to put them in his shops, he explained before I opened the shop " Ubah stated.

 She explained further, " So I said, Okay, since they are products abandoned by whosoever they are, we have to pick them to NAFDAC office for more verification. So that's exactly what we have done. " We have picked the products that they recovered, and we are now screening his shop as part of the exercise ". she said

Chairman, Lagos State Medicine Association, Island Zone, Mr Innocent Ezennaya, who expressed concerns over the ongoing inspection exercise said although he is in support of the exercise, the one week lock up would have economic consequences both on the owners, the hospital and the patients who rely on drugs to survive.

Ezennaya who expressed dismay that despite regular checks on members to ensure no person is caught wanting, some were still in the habit of cutting conners, stressing that, " this particular operation which is more intense, with inspectors checking shops one after the other will add value to their business". 

He called on the law enforcement agencies who are stationed at the borders to intensity checks as those fake and adulterated medicines pass through the borders. 

" All those drugs pass through the borders, the water, air and by road, what are they doing ? It is their duty to to ensure those medicines don't come in ". Ezennaya stressed 

" He assured members of the public that business will resume in earnest as not all sealed off shops that are found wanting., staying that, it was just a modernity to differentiate between shops that had been checked and those that had not been investigated ".

Julie Ekong