NAFDAC Parades 4 Over Importation Of Fake Drugs Worth N59bn

Four suspects were at the weekend paraded by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, over the importation of counterfeit drugs worth N59 million.

NAFDAC Director-General, Dr. Paul Orhii, while parading the suspects whose names were given as Mr. Paul Ogbonna, Mr. Celestine Eruokwu, Mr. Ifeanyi Edeh, and Mr. Ozoemena Odo, before newsmen, said he was more embarrassed by people losing their lives due to fake drugs than flimsy claims of those he described as ‘fake drug abettors’ on failure of technology in identifying fake products.

Recent findings indicated that counterfeiters of medicines now hide under the shadows of other businesses to carry out their activities. Orhii cited Mr. Celestine Eruokwu who was a generator dealer, but was arrested for importation of 90,000 doses of counterfeit Maloxine tablets as an example.

“Based on an intelligence report that Eruokwu was in possession of counterfeit Maloxine tablets, operatives of NAFDAC Investigation and Enforcement Directorate raided his house.

“They discovered and impounded counterfeit Maloxine tablet (90,000 doses) 600 packets x 150 x Stabs, with an estimated market value of nine million naira,” Orhii said.



-- Information Nigeria