The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has evacuated 140 tonnes of expired and unregistered drugs from a warehouse in Aba, Abia State. The seized drugs were moved to NAFDAC’s office in Anambra for further investigation.
Omoyeni Babatunji, the deputy director in charge of Investigation and Enforcement at NAFDAC’s Federal Taskforce for South-South and South-East states, disclosed this during a press briefing on Saturday. He stated that the operation also led to the collection of 178 drug samples that will undergo laboratory tests.
Expired Drugs Being Re-labelled and Sold in the Market
Mr. Babatunji revealed that the expired drugs were found in a warehouse located in Umummeje, Umuocheala, Osisioma Local Government Area. He clarified that these seized products were separate from those sold in the Ariaria International Market, a major drug distribution hub in Aba.
During the operation, officials also uncovered two additional warehouses filled with expired drugs at No. 269, Sam Mbakwe Road (formerly Faulk’s Road), Aba.
“We found that the suspects had taken away some cartons of expired drugs and re-labelled them before we could bring in security. We are now working on evacuating the drugs in these warehouses, starting from Saturday evening,” Mr. Babatunji explained.
The discovery has raised fresh concerns about the illegal re-packaging of expired drugs and their distribution in markets.
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Call for a Coordinated Drug Warehouse System in Aba
NAFDAC officials stressed the urgent need to establish a Coordinated Wholesale Centre (CWC) in Aba to control drug distribution. The absence of proper regulation has made it easy for criminals to store and sell expired products, endangering public health.
“This operation is part of our drive toward establishing Wholesale Control Centres (CWCs). NAFDAC has now reached Maturity Level 3 (ML3) of the World Health Organization (WHO), and we are implementing global benchmarking tools for better regulatory control,” Mr. Babatunji said.
He also stated that NAFDAC has been engaging the governors of Abia and Anambra States to push for the establishment of the CWC warehouse system.
Horrifying Discovery of Expired Drugs
Another deputy director at NAFDAC, Luis Madubuata, described the discovery of expired drugs in Aba as horrifying and worrisome.
Mr. Madubuata said, “We got to this location through intelligence reports and a collaborative operation between NAFDAC and security agencies. We found out that expired drugs were being re-labelled and sent back to the market for sale.”
He confirmed that no arrests had been made yet, as the suspects fled before NAFDAC officials arrived.
“When we got here, we saw that the house had just been vacated. Their refrigerator and other electronic gadgets were still switched on,” he explained.
However, Mr. Madubuata expressed hope that the police would track down the suspects and ensure they face the law.
NAFDAC Appreciates Abia State Government’s Support
NAFDAC officials thanked the Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, for supporting their work in Aba.
“We have been able to carry out this operation without any disturbances, thanks to the support of the Abia State government,” Mr. Madubuata said.
The agency has vowed to continue its crackdown on illegal drug activities to protect public health and ensure that only safe, approved medicines are sold in Nigeria.