Eleven thousand shops have been sealed, while 40 persons have been arrested by operatives of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in the ongoing nationwide clampdown on fake and substandard drugs.

NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this during a media briefing on Saturday in Lagos.

The agency, on February 10, commenced enforcement operations at the Idumota open drug market, the Ariaria drug market in Aba, and the Bridge Market in Onitsha.

According to the DG, the enforcement had been planned for over a year as a covert operation.

She stated that the three markets, which distribute over 80 per cent of medications nationwide, were targeted to eliminate falsified and unregistered drugs.

The NAFDAC boss revealed that over 20 trucks of substandard drugs were evacuated from various locations in Aba, at least 30 trucks were seized in Onitsha, and 27 trucks were removed from the Idumota market.

“We are winding down our operations in Aba because we have almost completed the evacuation.

“Our next phase is to inspect shops individually to identify those operating legally and those who are not registered.

“We have closed over 4,000 shops in Onitsha, 3,027 in Lagos, and another 4,000 in Aba since the commencement of these operations.

“In Onitsha, we have completed only 20 per cent of the work. We need to carry out a thorough operation because some traders, although genuine, are not registered under the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN)”, she said.

She recalled that some staff of NAFDAC almost lost their lives while attempting a similar operation in Onitsha three years ago. She commended the leadership of the National Security Agency for providing adequate security during the operations.

Adeyeye said: “Three years ago, some of our officers were nearly killed while attempting a similar operation in Onitsha.

“Our enforcement teams in these three locations were able to carry out their duties without fear.

“The NSA provided us with 400 officers in Onitsha, 350 in Aba, and over 250 in Lagos to ensure the safety of our personnel.”