What we discovered in drug markets can destroy a nation

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says its discoveries at the three open drug markets could destroy the lives of millions of Nigerians.

Its Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this during a news conference in Lagos on Friday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NAFDAC started enforcement operations at the Idumota Open Drug Market, Ariaria Drug Market in Aba and Bridge Market in Onitsha on Feb. 10.

Adeyeye said that 100 40-feet truckloads of fake, banned, unregistered drugs and narcotics were evacuated from the markets.

According to her, the enforcement operations at the markets, which serve as distribution hubs of over 80 per cent of medications, will rid the country of falsified and unregistered drugs.

Adeyeye said, “What we found during our enforcement operations in Idumota, Aba and Onitsha open drug markets can ruin a nation and reduce the quality of life of Nigerians.

“If a patient with diabetes or hypertension takes some of the drugs we evacuated, such a person or people can die easily with what we found.

“In Onitsha and Aba, we evacuated close to 80 40-feet truckloads of drugs from the markets and various warehouses where drugs were stored without windows.

“We discovered 12 truckloads of tramadol and four truckloads of codeine syrups that were banned for treatment some years ago in the plumbing line, fashion line and wood section in the market.

“We have already destroyed 27 40-feet truckloads of drugs we evacuated from Idumota market.”

She said the agency would not relent in its efforts to checkmate market activities until they relocated to a coordinated wholesale centre.

Adeyeye said the enforcement operations at Idumota and Aba markets concluded on Feb. 28, while the exercise ended on March 5 in Onitsha.