Key Points

• Ogbo-Ogwu Market hands over N265m worth of fake and expired drugs to NAFDAC.

• Market taskforce seizes over 400 cartons during routine inspections and raids.

• NAFDAC stores the drugs pending destruction to protect public health.

The Bridge Head Medicine Market, widely known as Ogbo-Ogwu Market in Onitsha, Anambra State, has handed over fake, expired, and substandard drugs valued at N265 million to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.

The handover took place at NAFDAC’s Agulu office in Anaocha Local Government Area and followed months of seizures carried out by the market’s internal taskforce after regulatory raids earlier this year.

Market taskforce steps up enforcement

Chairman of Ogbo-Ogwu Market, Ndubisi Chukwuleta, explained that the drugs were confiscated during routine checks conducted by the taskforce to flush out counterfeit and unsafe pharmaceutical products.

He noted that some of the drugs were seized last year, while others were recovered during recent enforcement actions linked to NAFDAC operations.

According to Chukwuleta, the taskforce conducts regular inspections across the market to identify banned, expired, and fake medicines.

He added that the monitoring will continue until traders involved in illegal drug sales are completely eliminated.

He stressed that resistance from some traders has not weakened the resolve of market leaders to protect public health.

‘Merchants of death will not thrive’

Chukwuleta described sellers of fake drugs as “merchants of death” who endanger lives for profit.

He explained that the taskforce remains strategically positioned to track and shut down dealers involved in counterfeit drug distribution, despite intimidation and opposition.

He added that the market leadership views the fight against fake drugs as a moral duty to Nigerians who rely on medicines sold at the market.

NAFDAC confirms volume, plans destruction

Receiving the items, Anambra State NAFDAC Coordinator, Pharm. Louis Maduabattah, praised the market leadership for taking proactive steps to remove harmful drugs from circulation.

Maduabattah disclosed that more than 400 cartons of pharmaceutical products were handed over.

He said most of the drugs were expired or unregistered and will be kept in NAFDAC’s warehouse pending destruction.

He described the action as a standard safety measure expected of all pharmaceutical markets across the country.

Public health protection emphasized

Maduabattah explained that expired and banned drugs must always be surrendered to NAFDAC for proper disposal to prevent them from re-entering the market.

He added that the internal control system adopted by Ogbo-Ogwu Market serves as a model for other drug markets, as it strengthens compliance and protects consumers from dangerous substances.

The handover highlights continued collaboration between market authorities and regulatory agencies aimed at curbing counterfeit medicines and safeguarding public health nationwide.