The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has uncovered what it described as one of the worst counterfeit medicine operations in recent years, seizing over 10 million doses of fake and banned drugs hidden in warehouses in Lagos State.
Bellnews reports that the agency said the illicit products, valued at over ₦3 billion, were recovered from multiple warehouse structures located around the Trade Fair–Navy axis of the state.
Briefing journalists in Lagos on Monday, NAFDAC’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement and Chairman of the Federal Task Force on Fake and Substandard Products, Martins Iluyomade, said the discovery followed intelligence gathered during a training meeting held on February 3.
“Acting on information from that meeting, our team visited the location and found multiple warehouse structures built like residential houses but used solely for storage,” Iluyomade said.
He noted that the area was largely deserted, which likely allowed the syndicate to operate undetected.
“The area is deserted, not somewhere people normally go, which is likely why they operated undetected,” he added.
According to the agency, large quantities of counterfeit injectable anti-malarials, antibiotics, sachet drugs, blister packs and banned medicines such as Analgin – prohibited in Nigeria for over 15 years – were discovered inside the warehouses.
Iluyomade described the find as alarming.
“What we discovered should make every Nigerian cry. These were not just fake vitamins. These were life-saving medicines – injections used in emergency cases like cerebral malaria. When fake injections are used in such situations, it becomes a death sentence,” he said.
He explained that the counterfeit products were so sophisticated that even manufacturers sometimes struggled to differentiate them from genuine ones.
“It is extremely difficult to distinguish the fake from the original. Even product owners sometimes struggle to tell the difference. That is how sophisticated these criminals have become,” he stated.
The agency disclosed that eight trailers loaded with assorted fake medicines and cosmetics were evacuated from the site.
“This is a major breakthrough for Nigeria and Nigerians. These products will not enter circulation,” Iluyomade said.
He described the operation as the handiwork of an international syndicate.
“They clone original products. They take samples of genuine medicines, reproduce them abroad to near perfection, and push them back into our distribution chain. This is organised crime involving collaborators both inside and outside Nigeria,” he said.
The NAFDAC official warned that counterfeiters driven purely by profit were posing a grave threat to public health.
“The country is under siege by people who want to make money at all costs — even if it means killing fellow citizens and destroying reputable brands,” he said.
He further revealed that some pharmaceutical manufacturers had complained about fake versions of their products circulating in the market for over six months. However, the criminals allegedly distribute the products in small batches to evade detection.
“If a drug is unusually cheap, don’t think you’ve found a bargain. It could cost you your life,” he warned.