NAFDAC arrests 66 drug hawkers in 10 months

The National Agency for Foods and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) said it has arrested no fewer than 66 drug hawkers across the nation.

The Director-General of the agency, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, stated this while destroying fake and expired goods in Sagamu, Ogun State, on Thursday.

Adeyeye, represented by the NAFDAC Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Francis Ononiwu, said 66 arrests were recorded from 50 raids across the country since January 2023.

According to her, antimalarials, codeine, cough syrups, aphrodisiacs, tramadol capsules, analgesics, and antibiotics worth N8 million were seized from people who hawked drugs on the street.

She recalled NAFDAC’s arrest of a suspect, Sunday Chibuike, who produced and sold unregistered alcoholic beverages.

The suspect, according to her, was concocting alcoholic drinks laced with substances suspected to be cannabis sativa and other harmful ingredients.

The alcoholic drink, Adeyeye disclosed, was packaged and sold as Japata Bitters in the Iyana-Ipaja area of Lagos State.

The NAFDAC DG urged Nigerians to shun drug peddlers and patronise registered medicine stores in order to avoid the harmful effects of unregistered drugs.