NAFDAC uncovers counterfeit drug warehouses in Lagos, seizes over 10 million doses

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has uncovered a large cache of counterfeit and banned medicines stored in concealed warehouses in Lagos State, seizing more than 10 million doses with an estimated street value above ₦3 billion.

Martins Iluyomade, NAFDAC’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement and Chairman of the Federal Task Force on Fake and Substandard Products, said the operation followed intelligence shared during a training meeting on February 3 about suspicious activity around the Trade Fair–Navy area.

According to Iluyomade, officers who visited the location found several warehouse structures designed to resemble residential buildings but used solely for storage. The area’s isolation, he said, allowed the operation to run without drawing attention.

Inside the buildings, officials recovered large quantities of counterfeit medicines, including injectable anti-malarials, antibiotics, sachet drugs, blister packs, cosmetics, and banned products such as Analgin, which has been prohibited in Nigeria for over 15 years.

Iluyomade said many of the seized items were critical, life-saving drugs commonly used in emergency care, including injections for severe malaria. He noted that the counterfeits were produced with a level of detail that makes them difficult to distinguish from genuine products.

Eight trailers were used to evacuate the seized medicines and cosmetics from the site.

NAFDAC believes the operation is linked to an international network involved in cloning genuine pharmaceutical products and reintroducing them into Nigeria’s supply chain with the help of local collaborators.

The agency said some pharmaceutical manufacturers had reported the circulation of fake versions of their products for months, but the distributors often release them in small quantities to avoid detection.

NAFDAC urged the public to be cautious of unusually cheap medicines and to purchase drugs only from licensed pharmacies and recognised outlets, warning that counterfeit medicines pose serious risks to public health.