The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has issued a stern warning against attacking or obstructing its personnel during enforcement operations targeting substandard drugs and falsified goods. This warning comes after an attack on NAFDAC officials by drug hawkers and touts in February.
The Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Mr. Shaba Mohammed, emphasized that the agency will not tolerate any form of violence against its staff, and those found guilty will face trial.
Recently, several individuals involved in the attack were arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja, serving as a deterrent to others.
Mohammed stressed that NAFDAC will continue to arrest hawkers to track the sources of counterfeit products and sanitize the system.
He acknowledged that counterfeit products are still in circulation, but assured that the agency is working tirelessly to eradicate them.
“The public should support NAFDAC to sanitise the system. Anyone caught in such an act will be prosecuted thoroughly because that is obstruction of the Federal Government team in performing its jobs.
“Sales of drugs in marketplaces, hawking or in moving vehicle is actually prohibited by NAFDAC law.
“This is regarded as a criminal act and that is why we are prosecuting those that have committed the crime against the NAFDAC act,” he highlighted.
As the head of Investigation and Enforcement at NAFDAC, Mohammed has pledged to join forces with the Federal Task Force, a coalition of relevant agencies, to eradicate counterfeit drugs and goods from Nigeria.
This task force will encompass various organizations, including the Pharmacist Council of Nigeria, Customs Service, and Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Council.
To combat the scourge of fake drugs, Mohammed revealed that the task force will implement a key strategy: securing the country’s entry points to intercept and prevent the circulation of counterfeit products.
He noted, “We will also be using Post Marketing Surveillance, whose officials would function like undercover agents.”
 has issued a stern warning against attacking or obstructing its personnel during enforcement operations targeting substandard drugs and falsified goods. This warning comes after an attack on NAFDAC officials by drug hawkers and touts in February.){kind=link}