The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has shut down 150 shops at Eziukwu Market in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia state.
In a statement posted on its Facebook page on Wednesday, NAFDAC said its personnel shut down the shops during a two-day operation between 16 and 17 December.
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The regulatory agency said the personnel uncovered a large-scale production and distribution of fake and expired goods.
It added that the fake and expired goods – worth N5 billion – were consequently destroyed during the operation.
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The agency uploaded eight video clips showing some of the fake and expired goods being removed from shops in the market.
NAFDAC said the fake products included beverages, carbonated drinks, wines, spirits, vegetable oils, and revalidated food items such as noodles, powdered milk, and yoghurt.
The South-east Zonal Director of NAFDAC, Martins Iluyomade, expressed dismay over the continued illegal activities at the market.
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Mr Iluyomade said illegal activities had continued despite a previous undertaking signed by the leaders in December 2023 to expose counterfeiters.
The NAFDAC director described the market as a hub for counterfeit and substandard products.
“The NAFDAC DG, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, reaffirms the agency’s zero tolerance for such practices and emphasises its unwavering commitment to safeguarding public health while working toward a permanent solution to the problem of counterfeit products in the market,” he said.
