Ibadan, Oyo State — November 15, 2025
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has destroyed tens of billions of naira worth of counterfeit, expired and unwholesome pharmaceutical products in Ibadan, Oyo State, marking one of the agency’s most sweeping enforcement actions against Nigeria’s booming illicit drug market.
The operation, carried out at the Moniya dumpsite in Akinyele Local Government Area, was conducted in collaboration with multiple security agencies including the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Customs Service and other regulatory bodies present to ensure full compliance and prevent diversion of the seized items. According to NAFDAC officials, the estimated value of the destroyed products stands at approximately ₦15 billion, representing items intercepted across enforcement operations in Oyo and surrounding regions.
In earlier related crackdowns, the agency had destroyed counterfeit products valued at more than ₦100 billion, reflecting the scale and persistence of the counterfeit drug trade confronting Nigeria’s health sector.
Products destroyed in the latest exercise included highly dangerous substances such as Analgin, Co-codamol, codeine-based cough syrups, Tramadol, Oxytocin injections, unregistered herbal preparations, expired vaccines and other falsified medical products linked to serious public health risks.
The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, represented by senior enforcement officials, said the agency would continue to pursue counterfeiters aggressively, stressing that the exercise was necessary to prevent these products from finding their way back into circulation. She commended the role of security agencies in intercepting illegal pharmaceuticals and warned that the fight against substandard medicines requires constant vigilance and stronger community cooperation.
The Oyo State NAFDAC Director, Henry Adeyemi, called on Nigerians, healthcare workers, community leaders and religious institutions to report suspicious drug activities, noting that counterfeit medicines remain a major threat to public safety. He urged the public to patronize only registered pharmacies and avoid open drug markets notorious for selling unregulated products. The destruction exercise, which attracted representatives from regulatory bodies and civil society groups, signals NAFDAC’s heightened campaign to sanitize drug distribution channels nationwide.
The agency emphasized that several suspects arrested during recent operations would face prosecution, and investigations are ongoing to trace the networks responsible for manufacturing and distributing the fake products. With Nigeria ranking among countries heavily affected by counterfeit pharmaceuticals, public health experts say the latest action underscores both the seriousness of the problem and the necessity of sustained national enforcement.
NAFDAC has vowed to intensify inspections, expand surveillance, strengthen regulatory frameworks and deepen collaboration with communities to ensure that Nigerians are protected from dangerous and unwholesome drugs circulating in illegal markets.