NAFDAC raids hawkers’ outlets, seizes products worth N10m

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), said it seized products worth more than N10 million at hawkers’ and illegal drug sellers’ outlets in some parts of Kaduna State.

Tamanuwa Andrew-Baba, NAFDAC’s Deputy Director, Investigation and Enforcement, Pharmaceutical Enforcement Directorate, Kaduna State, made the disclosure on Friday in Kaduna.

He explained that the raid was conducted to clear out hawkers on the streets, motor parks and around worship centres, adding that its operatives arrested six suspects.

Andrew-Baba added that the raid was conducted following the media sensitisation campaign on the dangers of drug hawking and ripening of fruits with calcium carbide, which began two weeks ago.

“We came out to raid hawkers on the streets, motor parks and worship centres as a fall out of our Director-General’s promise.

“She promised that we would commence a regional clam down on all hawkers to ensure people got the right medicines.”

According to him, the exercise is a continuous process, which is sounding a loud warning to others who do not want to repent from the act of drug peddling that, henceforth, they will be prosecuted.

The NAFDAC boss said some of the items seized were over-the-counter drugs, which were not supposed to be sold by hawkers.

“We found some of the hawkers selling drugs, such as Hiegra 200mg, which is above what our agency registers; our agency registers 100mg.

“Most of the drugs seized are sex enhancers, like ‘night rockets’, ‘black diamonds’, ‘double rockets’, ‘AK-47’, and many other herbal products,” he said.

The deputy director appealed to residents not to patronise the hawkers because in most cases what they sold were no longer medicines but toxic substances, which had been exposed to harsh weather condition.

“We will continue to senstitise members of the public to stop patronising the hawkers, as what they are selling are not NAFDAC-approved.

“If there is no buyer, then there will be no seller,” he added.