The House committee has tasked NAFDAC to submit a detailed account of all ₦700,000 fines collected from fake drug crackdown
The House of Representatives Committee on Food and Drug Administration and Control has directed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to submit a detailed account of all fines collected from traders during its clampdown on open drug markets across the country.
This directive was issued on Tuesday during a session chaired by the acting committee chairman, Rep Uchenna Harris Okonkwo.
The session was convened following allegations of extortion by NAFDAC officials during a recent enforcement operation, particularly at the Onitsha Bridge Head Market in Anambra state.
NAFDAC’s Director General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, was represented at the hearing by Pharm. Shaba Mohammed, Director of Investigation and Enforcement, and Dr. Lyon Obi Martins, the agency’s south-east director.
Lawmakers raised concerns that traders in Lagos, Anambra, and Kano were allegedly compelled to pay up to ₦700,000 each during the operation, which targeted sellers of fake and substandard drugs.
Okonkwo acknowledged NAFDAC’s efforts to sanitize Nigeria’s pharmaceutical supply chain but emphasised the committee had received multiple petitions about the exercise.
“We’ve received disturbing complaints about the shutdown of West Africa’s largest drug market in Anambra over non-compliance with payment demands,” he said. “We’re also concerned about the alleged arbitrary increase in penalties from ₦500,000 to ₦700,000, and claims of an additional ₦2 million charge for improper storage in Idumota, Lagos.”
He stressed the need for transparency and accountability in the enforcement exercise, especially since it was conducted in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA).
“You mentioned the operation is ongoing, but we are mandating that you submit an interim statement of account to this committee. This should cover the period from the start of the operation until June 30, 2025,” Okonkwo said. “We expect details of all payments received, including the accounts into which they were paid and how the funds were utilized.”
The committee also passed a motion urging NAFDAC and the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria to prioritise the establishment of Coordinated Wholesale Centres (CWCs) in collaboration with state governments and traders.
These centres, Okonkwo said, must meet modern standards for drug storage and trading to ensure public safety.
“The CWCs must be built to proper specifications to ensure safe environments for trading and storage,” he said. “Additionally, this committee must be actively involved in monitoring the development and implementation of these centres across affected states.”
Another key issue raised during the session was the role of drug kingpins operating within the illicit pharmaceutical trade. Okonkwo called on NAFDAC to share intelligence on these individuals with the committee.
“We understand there are kingpins behind these illegal markets. It is imperative we investigate and collaborate with security agencies to prosecute them,” he said. “These people are a major barrier to sanitizing the drug market in Nigeria.”
Responding to the allegations, Pharm. Shaba Mohammed clarified that the ₦700,000 fine imposed on each defaulting trader consisted of ₦500,000 for poor storage practices and ₦200,000 for the possession of unregistered products.
He also noted that some violations uncovered during the operation had not yet been enforced.
Professor Adeyeye, in a prepared submission, defended the agency’s actions, describing the crackdown as the most extensive pharmaceutical enforcement operation since 2007.
She said the operation, which began on February 9, 2025, was initiated in response to growing local and international concerns over counterfeit drugs originating from Nigeria.
“We didn’t just wake up and act,” she said. “The World Health Organization and others raised alarms, prompting us to take action. We consulted with the NSA and had full security backing.”
According to Adeyeye, a total of 1,200 security personnel were deployed to enforce the operation at key drug markets: Idumota in Lagos, Bridge 8 Market in Onitsha, and Ariaria in Aba.
Although initially scheduled for one week, the crackdown lasted up to four weeks in some locations due to the scope of the violations uncovered.
She added that all shops in the affected markets were sealed, regardless of whether they sold fake drugs, in order to carry out a comprehensive inspection. Only shops that met regulatory standards were eventually reopened.
Adeyeye further emphasised that open drug markets are illegal under Nigerian law, citing the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act.
“These markets violate Nigerian law. Many of them lacked ventilation, had no windows, and used iron sheeting for drug storage. The products in such conditions were unfit for consumption,” she said.
She confirmed that all counterfeit and substandard drugs seized during the operation had been publicly destroyed, and that market union leaders were briefed beforehand on the nature and scope of the enforcement.
