Health
NAFDAC alleges assassination plot in Lagos market attack, vows crackdown on counterfeit trade
NAFDAC alleges assassination plot in Lagos market attack, vows crackdown on counterfeit trade
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has described Thursday’s violent assault on its enforcement team at the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex as a coordinated assassination attempt targeting senior officials during a raid on counterfeit and substandard products.
The operation, led by Dr. Martins Iluyomade, Director of Investigation and Enforcement and Chairman of the Federal Task Force on Counterfeit and Fake Drugs, was based on credible intelligence regarding the sale and distribution of fake and unwholesome goods at the market.
What began as a routine enforcement exercise escalated into a violent ambush when armed hoodlums stormed the scene, demanding to identify the Task Force chairman. The attackers vandalized approximately ten operational vehicles belonging to NAFDAC and supporting security agencies, with damages estimated at over ₦25 million.
“This was a premeditated attack,” Iluyomade stated during a press briefing in Lagos. “The market’s Chief Security Officer, who was accompanying us, issued a directive on their internal platform instructing cluster leaders to act. That was the signal for the lockdown and assault.”
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Prior to the attack, NAFDAC officials had confiscated several cartons of fake, banned, and unwholesome products. As tensions escalated, the gates were locked and stones were hurled at the enforcement team, forcing them to escape through three barricaded exits under siege.
“If not for the professionalism and calmness of the police and military personnel with us, there would have been casualties,” Iluyomade said.
NAFDAC condemned the violence and pledged to bring all perpetrators to justice. The agency recalled a similar incident in 2022, where an officer narrowly escaped death during an enforcement operation at the same market.
“No individual or group is above the law,” Iluyomade declared.
Describing the assault as an attack on national health security, NAFDAC Director-General Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye commended the Nigeria Police and military for ensuring the safety of agency personnel. She reaffirmed NAFDAC’s commitment to protecting public health and vowed that the agency would not be intimidated.
“NAFDAC remains fully alive to its responsibility of safeguarding the health of Nigerians. This incident will only strengthen our resolve to do more,” Adeyeye said.
To stem the influx of counterfeit products, Adeyeye revealed that NAFDAC has intensified surveillance at Nigeria’s ports and airports. The agency recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Nigeria Customs Service to enhance joint monitoring at points of entry.
“We are stepping up monitoring this season. With Customs, we have intercepted and are destroying over 80 containers of fake and substandard goods,” she disclosed, noting that some importers disguise pharmaceuticals as spare parts to evade detection.
While acknowledging that corruption at entry points remains a challenge, Adeyeye emphasized NAFDAC’s determination to dismantle the criminal networks behind fake drug importation.
NAFDAC alleges assassination plot in Lagos market attack, vows crackdown on counterfeit trade
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
Health
NAFDAC Seizes Fake Drinks Worth Over ₦2bn at Lagos Trade Fair Complex
NAFDAC Seizes Fake Drinks Worth Over ₦2bn at Lagos Trade Fair Complex
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has uncovered a suspected large-scale counterfeit alcoholic beverage operation at the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex, seizing products reportedly valued at more than ₦2 billion.
The operation, conducted on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, followed intelligence reports about suspected illegal activities within the commercial complex.
The raid reportedly led to the discovery of more than 20 illegal stores allegedly used for the production and distribution of counterfeit alcoholic beverages and other prohibited activities.
According to reports on the operation, the facilities were concealed within makeshift stores originally designated as parking spaces within the complex.
During the exercise, NAFDAC officials reportedly discovered individuals allegedly involved in blending and counterfeiting popular alcoholic beverage brands, revalidating expired and unsafe drinks for resale, and stockpiling banned imported products.
Two suspects were reportedly apprehended during the operation, while the seized products were evacuated from the premises.
The discovery has raised concerns about the possible circulation of counterfeit, expired and unsafe alcoholic beverages in Nigerian markets, particularly products repackaged to appear genuine.
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NAFDAC has repeatedly warned that the consumption of adulterated or unsafe beverages could expose consumers to serious health risks.
The agency urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspected cases of illegal manufacturing, relabelling, revalidation and sale of regulated products.
Consumers were also advised to exercise caution when purchasing alcoholic beverages, particularly products with suspicious packaging, questionable expiry dates or other signs of tampering.
NAFDAC provided its official complaints line, 0800-1-NAFDAC (0800-1-623322), for members of the public to report suspected violations.
The latest enforcement action forms part of the agency’s efforts to combat counterfeit and substandard products and protect public health.
Investigations are expected to establish the full extent of the alleged activities and identify other individuals who may be connected to the suspected distribution network.
NAFDAC Seizes Fake Drinks Worth Over ₦2bn at Lagos Trade Fair Complex
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