Health
JUST IN: NAFDAC shutdowns cemetery market Aba Home of fake Milo, Cadbury, Miksi others

NAFDAC says it has cleaned up and shutdown the Cemetery market Aba regarded as the most dreaded and hitherto safe haven for the largest cartel ring for the manufacture of fake wines and beverages in Africa.
NAFDAC also confiscated adulterated wines, fake food and beverages valued at over N5 billion.
Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, the NAFDAC Director-General , said in a press release today .
The statement reads: ” The current action of NAFDAC is the most audacious since the history of the market with specific zones barricaded with iron welding and access gates locked till date.
The operation carried out in conjunction with a large contingency of the military, DSS and Nigeria Police, in a rare display of inter-agency cooperation, was a follow up to a similar raid that was carried out in December 2023.
Some of the nefarious activities of the counterfeiters included the manufacturing of all kinds of adulterated products especially different kinds of wine from a wide variety of brands ranging from the following: · Seaman Schnapps,
Henessy,
Four Cousins ·
Carlo Rossi,
Jenney,
Chelsea London Dry Gin ·
Schnapp Dry Gin,
McDowells, Black Labels ·
Gordons,
Martell, Campari, Smirnoff ice ·
Eva Non-Alcoholic Drink,
Evra Non-Alcoholic Drink, Cartel and others.
As a consequence of the extensive operation, the agency raided over 240 shops turned factories where the harmful products were being produced and marketed.
The shops turned factories are very filthy, using water from very unhygienic sources, harmful chemicals, saccharin, colouring, dirty recycled bottles and cloned packaging materials of other brands.
The adulteration of alcoholic beverages by criminal elements in the country is done by mixing of cheaper sources of sugar and starch besides grapes or fruit, among other harmful chemicals unsuitable for human consumption.
Over 1500 cartons of the fake and substandard products were destroyed during the operation.
The street value of the confiscated and destroyed fake products in 2023 is estimated at over seven hundred and fifty million naira only. (N750,000,000).
The estimated value of products mopped up during the December 15, 2024, operation is five billion naira.
The products being revalidated and mopped up include: ·
Soft and carbonated drinks such as Fanta, Coca Cola ·
Schweppes, Lacasera, Sprite, Hollandia Yoghurt ·
Super Commando Energy Drink, Feyrouz and Amstel Malta. Aside from drinks, notable fake home use beverages such as: ·
Peak Sachet Milk, Cowbell Sachet Milk, Peak Chocolate Drink ·
Miksi Sachet Milk, Cadbury Chocolate Drink and Ovaltine adulterated versions.
Prior to the evacuation of the products by NAFDAC, they were being produced in the market and neatly packaged and sold to unsuspecting consumers.
NAFDAC management appreciates the support from the Government of Abia State led by His Excellency Governor Alex Otti for his unwavering support for this project OPERATION CLEAN UP ABA.
The Mayor of Aba south and the interim management committee of the market and other stakeholders have been working assiduously with NAFDAC on the project leading to another discovery of three major warehouses stockpiling expired HOLLANDIA YOGHURT for revalidation on the 22nd of January 2025.
Health
JUST IN: Ogun confirms Lassa fever outbreak as NYSC member dies

A 25-year-old member of the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC), has reportedly died of Lassa fever at a secondary health facility in ljebu North Local Government Area of Ogun State.
It wwas learnt that the female corp member who fell sick while in Ondo State, was brought to the health facility last Tuesday and later died same day.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Health, Tomi Coker, on Wednesday.
Coker also confirmed the outbreak of Lassa fever in the state.
The statement reads, “Ogun State has confirmed a case of Lassa Fever and as such declared Lassa fever outbreak.
“The index case is a 25-year-old female National Youth Corp member who fell sick while in Ondo State and was brought to on of our secondary health facility in ljebu North LGA on 18th March 2025 and later died same day.
“ Lassa fever is a viral Haemorrhagic disease that presents with High grade fever, Headache, General body weakness, Sore throat, Muscle pain, Cough, Nausea, Vomiting, Diarrhoea, Chest pain and Unexplained bleeding from the ears, eyes, nose, mouth and other body openings.
”Coker urged members of the community to report to the hospital if any of the listed symptoms is noticed.
“We implore members of the community to promptly report to the hospital if they notice any of these symptoms.
Any case of febrile illness that has not responded to 48 hours use of anti-malaria or antibiotics should raise an index of suspicion for Lassa fever!
“We implore all Health facilities in Ogun State, public and private, to step up Infection Prevention and Control measures and to encourage compliance by all health facility staff.“
Healthcare worker that suspects Lassa fever in a patient, are advised to call their local government disease surveillance and notification officer (LGA DSNO) whose numbers are placed in our health facilities or call State Disease surveillance and Notification Officer (0703-421-4893) or State Epidemiologist (0808-425-0881),” she added.
The commissioner, however reiterated the Governor Dapo Abiodun-led administration’s dedication to protecting the health of the citizens through continuous surveillance and prompt response to infectious diseases.
She added that the ministry in collaboration with the Rapid Response Team at ljebu North East is keeping the situation under control with enhanced surveillance and community engagement and mobilization for effective response.
Health
JUST IN: NAFDAC goes digital in fight against fake pharmaceutical products

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has gone digital in its efforts to rid the country of substandard and falsified pharmaceutical products.
During a two-day workshop and training session in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Wednesday, NAFDAC introduced an app, Greenbook, an online platform for identifying the source of a product.
The Greenbook allows consumers to enter the product name, brand name, or registration number to search for information about its registration status.
If the product is listed in the Greenbook, it signifies that it has been registered by NAFDAC and is considered authentic.
The app serves as a tool to help consumers identify and avoid potentially fake or substandard products.
The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, speaking at the workshop in Port Harcourt, stated that these fake products are “produced by our greedy businessmen and their international collaborators to get rich or make money,” describing it as the worst form of inhumanity of man to his fellow men.
Prof. Adeyeye, who was represented by the Director of the Post-Marketing Surveillance Directorate, NAFDAC, Fraden Bitrus, noted that the agency has, over the years, deployed various measures to combat falsified products.
She expressed concern that counterfeiters have adopted increasingly sophisticated methods to advance their trade but assured that NAFDAC “is poised to use technologies and modern means to mitigate the activities of counterfeiters, hence the need for stakeholder sensitisation.”
She added that the workshop aims to educate stakeholders and provide hands-on training on the NAFDAC Greenbook, the Traceability Regulation 2024, and the Paediatric Regulation 2024, ensuring that both the regulator and the regulated are aligned in the fight against substandard and falsified medical products.
Prof. Adeyeye revealed that the project is being implemented in phases, initially used for COVID-19 vaccine distribution as a pilot project, which yielded highly effective results.
She noted, “Within 24 hours, batches of substandard or defective vaccines distributed in the country were traced and recalled.”
She further stated, “We have implemented it for commodities in public health, such as antimalarial and narcotic products.
Over time, we will extend it to other products. Please note that with this technology, stakeholders can detect and reject SF products before they enter the supply chain.”
She called on all stakeholders in the healthcare sector to support these initiatives to combat fake products and ensure the availability of quality, safe, and efficacious medical products for the people of Nigeria.
Health
IPOB to NAFDAC: Return seized goods from Onitsha drug market

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has called on the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to return goods seized from traders at Ogbo Ogwu Drug Market in Onitsha, Anambra State.
In a statement issued by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, the group alleged that NAFDAC officials conducted a midnight raid on the market, blocking CCTV cameras, breaking into shops, and confiscating goods under the claim of targeting fake drugs.
IPOB criticized the method of the operation, questioning the agency’s approach and transparency.
While IPOB reaffirmed its stance against the sale of counterfeit drugs, it raised concerns over the alleged seizure of traders’ goods in their absence, the blocking of surveillance cameras, and the lack of evidence proving that all confiscated products were counterfeit.
The group posed several questions to NAFDAC, including: Why was the operation conducted at midnight? Why were CCTV cameras blocked?
Where is the evidence that the confiscated drugs were fake? Why was the entire market sealed, affecting both innocent and guilty traders?
IPOB urged NAFDAC to adopt a more professional and transparent approach to combating fake drugs, suggesting that the agency establish permanent offices in drug markets to ensure proper regulation rather than conducting surprise raids.
The statement also called for collaboration between NAFDAC and the Anambra State Government to relocate the drug market to the new Oba Drug Market, ensuring that only licensed and certified dealers are allowed to operate.
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