By Abigail Philip David
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has sealed 150 shops in Eziukwu Market, Aba, Abia State, and confiscated counterfeit and expired products worth N5 billion during a two-day enforcement operation on December 16 and 17, 2024.
The agency disclosed this in a statement shared on its X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday.
The operation uncovered a large-scale network involved in the production and distribution of fake and expired goods, including beverages, carbonated drinks, wines, spirits, vegetable oils, and revalidated food products such as noodles, powdered milk, and yogurt.
The statement read:
“NAFDAC has shut down 150 shops at Eziukwu Market, Aba, Abia State, during a two-day operation on December 16 and 17, 2024.
“The team uncovered large-scale production and distribution of fake and expired goods, including beverages, carbonated drinks, wines, spirits, vegetable oils, and revalidated food items such as noodles, powdered milk, and yogurt.
“The destroyed items were valued at N5 billion.”
### Persistent Counterfeiting Despite Prior Agreement
NAFDAC’s South-East Zone Director, Dr. Martins Iluyomade, expressed disappointment over the continued prevalence of illegal activities in Eziukwu Market, which he described as a hub for counterfeit and substandard products.
This discovery comes despite an agreement signed by market leaders in December 2023 to identify and expose counterfeiters operating within the market.
Dr. Iluyomade said, “The persistence of illegal activities in this market is deeply troubling, especially after the previous undertaking by market leaders to support efforts against counterfeiting.”
### Commitment to Public Safety
NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, reaffirmed the agency’s zero-tolerance policy toward counterfeit products. She emphasized NAFDAC’s dedication to protecting public health and pledged to find a long-term solution to the issue of counterfeit goods in the market.
“NAFDAC remains unwavering in its commitment to safeguarding public health and eliminating counterfeit products from our markets,” the statement concluded.
