The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has uncovered and shut down a network of illegal warehouses in Lagos used for storing counterfeit and banned medicines. The agency said the operation led to the seizure of more than 10 million doses of fake drugs, including vital emergency treatments, in what it described as one of the most serious counterfeit drug discoveries in recent years.
According to NAFDAC, the raid was carried out after officials received intelligence during a training exercise held on February 3. Acting on the information, enforcement teams moved to the identified location and discovered several warehouse buildings designed to look like ordinary residential houses. However, the structures were being used strictly for storing fake medical products.
Speaking to journalists in Lagos, NAFDAC’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement and Chairman of the Federal Task Force on Fake and Substandard Products, Martins Iluyomade, explained that the location was carefully chosen to avoid attention.
He said, “Our team visited the area based on information received and found warehouse structures disguised as residential buildings. The area is isolated, which likely helped the operators avoid detection for a long time.”
Inside the warehouses, officials found large quantities of counterfeit injectable anti malaria drugs, antibiotics, sachet medicines, and blister packaged drugs. The agency also discovered banned substances such as Analgin, which has been prohibited in Nigeria for over 15 years due to safety concerns.
Iluyomade warned that the presence of fake emergency medicines poses a serious risk to public health. He explained that counterfeit injections used to treat severe conditions such as cerebral malaria could lead to death if administered to patients.
He said, “These were not ordinary fake drugs. They included life saving injections used in emergency situations. When fake medicines are used in such cases, the consequences can be fatal.”
NAFDAC also revealed that the fake drugs were difficult to identify, even by manufacturers, because they were designed to closely resemble genuine products. The agency said the seized items, estimated to be worth over ₦10 billion, were removed from the warehouses using 8 fully loaded trailers containing fake medicines and cosmetics.
The agency described the operation as a major success in protecting Nigerians from dangerous products entering the market.
Iluyomade further disclosed that early findings suggest the illegal operation may be linked to an international criminal network. He explained that the suspects copy genuine drugs, produce fake versions abroad, and secretly reintroduce them into Nigeria’s supply chain.
He warned Nigerians to avoid buying medicines sold at unusually low prices, stressing that cheap drugs could be fake and dangerous.
