Umuahia: The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raided Ekumi Plaza, a prominent drug market in Aba, discovering and seizing large quantities of fake, unregistered, and banned drugs.
Ekumi Plaza, located near the Ariaria International Market, is home to the Ekumi Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers Association (EPPMDA).
The raid caught the market leadership off guard, with many dealers seen gathered kilometers away from the market due to the presence of security personnel, who stationed an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) at the entrance.
Backed by a strong security presence, including soldiers, the operation uncovered harmful substances, including the highly dangerous methamphetamine, locally known as Mkpuru Mmiri, and other banned drugs.
Speaking with newsmen, Pharmacist Omoyeni Babatunji, Deputy Director of Investigation and Enforcement and Federal Taskforce for the South East and South-South, said the operation was part of a national assignment to identify and remove fake, expired, and unregistered drugs.
He expressed shock at the volume of banned products being sold openly, stating, “What we saw at Ekumi Plaza was alarming. Many banned drugs like Analgin 500MG and Gentamicin 280MG were found in large quantities.”
Babatunji continued, “You can see products that haven’t passed through NAFDAC’s processes all over the market. No NAFDAC number, no registration. We’re being meticulous with this operation.”
When asked about the volume of seized products, he noted that details would be available at the conclusion of the exercise.
He warned that the inter-agency operation, involving the Police, Army, NAFDAC, and DSS, was committed to ridding markets of fake, expired, unregistered, and banned products to safeguard public health.
____
Follow us on Twitter at @thesignalng
Copyright 2025 SIGNAL. Permission to use portions of this article is granted provided appropriate credits are given to www.signalng.com and other relevant sources.
