Health
666 medicine shops shut down in Kaduna
666 medicine shops shut down in Kaduna
The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) has shut down 666 illegal medicine shops in Kaduna State for operating illegally and violating National Drug Distribution Guidelines.
The enforcement exercise, which began earlier in the week, targeted open drug markets and other locations across the state, where medicines were being sold without proper registration and supervision.
The move aims to ensure the safe and effective distribution of medicines, protect public health, and prevent the sale of harmful substances in the state.
Addressing a press conference after the end of the exercise in Kaduna on Thursday, PCN Director of Enforcement, Pharm. Stephen Esumobi said the affected premises included 47 pharmacies, 313 patent medicine shops, and 306 illegal medicine shops.
Esumobi noted that the PCN team visited 895 premises during the exercise, issuing 9 compliance directives to owners of shops found to be operating illegally.
According to him, medicine shops were sealed for offences ranging from the sale of medicines in the open drug market, operating without registration with the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, Poor documentation, Poor storage facilities, and Stocking of Ethical products without the supervision of a pharmacist.
“The PCN will not tolerate the sale of medicines in open drug markets and other unregistered locations,” Esumobi said while adding that “we will continue to enforce the National Drug Distribution Guidelines to protect public health and prevent the sale of harmful substances.”
He added the medicine shops in open drug markets and some other locations across Kaduna state were not registered by the Pharmacy Council and are operating illegally.
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The development, he argued, posed a great danger to public health because storage conditions of medicines in such premises were at variance with manufacturers’ recommendations.
“The implication of this is that most of the medicines sold in these locations may no longer be fit for human consumption due to degradation of the active ingredients,” he said.
Esumobi warned that the PCN would not hesitate to take further action against erring medicine dealers, adding that the council would assist owners of sealed shops who were willing to comply with regulations.
He said, ”The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PC) is the Federal Government Parastatal charged with the responsibility of regulating and controlling the education, training and practice of pharmacy in all its aspects and ramifications in line with the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria Establishment Act 2022.
“One major obstacle militating against the quality, safety and efficacy of medicines in Nigeria is the sale of medicines in open drug markets.
“The PCN had communicated severally with the relevant stakeholders in the state including the medicine dealers in open drug markets in Zaria and Kaduna city on the need to relocate to registrable locations or a coordinated wholesale centre as their activities are in total violation of the National Drug
Distribution Guidelines.”
He added that “at the end of the enforcement exercise which began early this week, a total of eight hundred and ninety-five (895) premises were visited. This is made up of seventy-five (75) pharmacies, five hundred and fourteen (514) Patent medicine shops and three hundred and six (306) illegal premises.
“A total of six hundred and sixty-six (666) premises were sealed. The premises sealed include forty-seven (47) pharmacies, three hundred and thirteen (313) Patent medicine shops and three hundred and six (306) illegal medicine shops.
“The PC office in Kaduna will render all necessary assistance to owners of sealed shops who are willing to comply with regulations.”
666 medicine shops shut down in Kaduna
Health
WHO Declares Nigeria Ebola-Free, 52 Contacts Remain Under Surveillance
WHO Declares Nigeria Ebola-Free, 52 Contacts Remain Under Surveillance
The World Health Organisation has declared Nigeria free of active Ebola cases after the evacuation of country’s lone confirmed patient to Switzerland.
Health authorities however continue to monitor 52 contacts to prevent a possible spread of the deadly disease.
The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Janabi, announced this in a statement posted on his verified X handle on Monday, confirming that Nigeria would retain responsibility for monitoring 52 contacts, while Switzerland would take over the patient’s continued medical care and follow up with her husband.
Janabi said the patient was clinically stable after Nigerian medical teams successfully managed her through the acute phase of the illness and stabilised her condition before her evacuation.
“Nigeria is now Ebola-free following the evacuation of the index patient to Switzerland,” he said.
He added that Nigeria would maintain close follow-up of the 52 contacts, while Switzerland would assume responsibility for the continued management of the patient and the monitoring of contact number 53, her husband.
The development follows an earlier confirmation by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention that the country had recorded an imported Ebola case involving a patient from Uganda.
Following the confirmation, the NCDC placed 53 contacts under surveillance in Abuja as part of measures to track possible exposure and prevent further transmission.
Although the evacuation of the patient has removed the confirmed case from Nigeria, health authorities are expected to sustain surveillance of the identified contacts in line with established public health protocols.
The monitoring exercise remains critical to ensuring that any potential emergence of symptoms among those exposed is detected promptly and managed appropriately.
Ebola is a severe and often fatal disease that can spread through direct contact with the blood and other bodily fluids of an infected person or someone who has died from the disease.
Public health authorities typically rely on early detection, contact tracing, isolation and appropriate medical care to contain outbreaks and prevent further transmission.
With the index patient now receiving continued care in Switzerland, Nigeria’s immediate focus remains on monitoring the 52 contacts and ensuring that the outbreak does not lead to further infections.
Health
NAFDAC Busts Illegal Herbal Factory in Lagos, Arrests Manager Over Fake Registration Number
LAGOS — The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has uncovered a suspected illegal herbal product manufacturing facility in Agege, Lagos State, and arrested its manager over the alleged use of a falsified registration number on herbal products.
The agency disclosed the development on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, following an investigation triggered by a report published by The Guardian on October 10 concerning herbal products allegedly carrying fake NAFDAC registration numbers.
According to NAFDAC, its investigative team conducted surveillance before discovering three variants of Asheitu Adams Bitters bearing registration number A7-1827L.
However, checks through the agency’s NAFDAC Automated Product Administration and Monitoring System (NAPAMS) revealed that the registration number belonged to Greentol Cough Syrup, rather than the herbal bitters.
The agency said the discovery confirmed the fraudulent use of the registration number on the products.
During the operation, the company’s managing director and chief executive officer was reportedly absent, while the manager was arrested for further interrogation as investigations continued.
The Sun identified the arrested manager as 39-year-old Abdullazeez Saidu from Kano State. NAFDAC had not announced any court charges against him as of Wednesday.
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The agency urged members of the public to provide credible information about suspected illegal manufacturing activities to help strengthen enforcement efforts and protect consumers from potentially unsafe products.
NAFDAC provided the following channels for reporting suspected violations: its call centre numbers, 0800-1-623322 and 0700-1-623322, and the email address reforms@nafdac.gov.ng.
The discovery comes amid a series of enforcement operations by the agency against suspected counterfeit and adulterated products in Lagos and other parts of the country.
On October 14, NAFDAC reported uncovering a suspected facility at the International Trade Fair Complex in Lagos where expired alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages were allegedly being repackaged for sale. The agency also reported seizures of suspected counterfeit alcoholic drinks in other operations.
The latest operation highlights concerns about the misuse of regulatory registration numbers, which consumers often rely on when assessing whether products have been registered for sale in Nigeria.
NAFDAC has repeatedly urged consumers to verify product registration details and report suspicious products or manufacturing activities.
The agency’s investigation into the Agege facility is ongoing, and further details about the products recovered, their distribution and any potential health effects have not been publicly disclosed.
NAFDAC Busts Illegal Herbal Factory in Lagos, Arrests Manager Over Fake Registration Number
Health
FG Confirms Ebola Case in Abuja, Identifies 44 Contacts
FG Confirms Ebola Case in Abuja, Identifies 44 Contacts
The Federal Government has confirmed a case of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, after laboratory tests returned positive for a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria from Uganda.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, announced the development on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, saying health authorities had identified 44 close contacts and commenced contact tracing to prevent further transmission.
According to the minister, the patient was admitted to a private hospital in Abuja, where she received medical attention for several days before the infection was confirmed. She is currently in isolation and receiving medical care.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is coordinating the response with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the FCT Health Services Secretariat and other relevant authorities.
Public health teams are tracing and monitoring people who may have been exposed to the patient, including healthcare workers, other patients, caregivers and people who travelled with her.
The government said surveillance had been intensified, while the hospital where the woman received treatment was receiving support to strengthen infection prevention and control measures.
The minister urged public and private healthcare facilities across Nigeria to remain on high alert and promptly identify, isolate and report suspected cases to the appropriate public health authorities.
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Healthcare workers were also directed to maintain strict infection prevention and control practices to reduce the risk of exposure and protect patients and medical personnel.
Pate appealed to Nigerians to remain calm, vigilant and cooperative with health officials, stressing that early detection and prompt reporting were essential to containing the infection.
He noted that Nigeria had successfully contained an Ebola outbreak in 2014 and had experience and public health systems to respond to the current situation.
The government also urged anyone contacted during the tracing exercise, including passengers who may have travelled with the patient, to provide the necessary information and comply with official public health guidance.
Ebola virus disease is a serious illness that can spread through direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person who has developed symptoms, or through contaminated objects and materials.
Symptoms may include fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea. The incubation period ranges from two to 21 days.
Anyone who believes they may have been exposed and subsequently develops symptoms should contact public health authorities for guidance and avoid close contact with others while awaiting advice.
The NCDC operates a toll-free call centre on 6232, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for information and reports of suspected cases.
Nigeria’s latest case comes amid a wider Ebola outbreak affecting parts of Africa, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo and countries in East Africa. The NCDC had previously warned of the risk of imported infections and strengthened national preparedness measures.
The Federal Government said investigations and contact tracing were continuing, with further updates expected through the NCDC and the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease.
Authorities have urged the public to rely on verified information, follow official health advice and avoid spreading unconfirmed reports as efforts continue to contain the infection.
FG Confirms Ebola Case in Abuja, Identifies 44 Contacts
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