Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has destroyed counterfeit and unregistered pharmaceutical products valued at approximately ₦2 billion in Kaduna State, marking one of the agency's largest single destruction exercises in the North-West region this year. The exercise, which took place on Thursday, May 21, 2026, at the Gonin Gora dumpsite in Kaduna, involved consignments of fake Pregabalin capsules that were intercepted before they could enter the Nigerian market, according to a statement by NAFDAC. The destruction was aimed at preventing the seized products from finding their way back into circulation and demonstrating the agency's resolve to tackle the circulation of fake and substandard drugs .
Speaking during the exercise at the dump site, Dr. Martins Iluyomade, NAFDAC's Director of Investigation and Enforcement and Chairman of the Federal Task Force on Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods in Nigeria, said the agency had zero tolerance for counterfeiting and that those engaged in the illicit trade would face severe consequences. "The current management of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control will not take that lightly," Iluyomade said. "NAFDAC has zero tolerance for counterfeiting, and everybody who is in the business will know that they are in for a hard time at this period." He added that the destruction exercise was conducted to show accountability and demonstrate that no one was playing games with the health of Nigerians .
Iluyomade explained that the destroyed product, Pregabalin, is a controlled drug solely used for neurological challenges and that the seized capsules were counterfeit products falsely presented as registered medicines approved by the agency. "The destroyed product, Pregabalin, was unregistered and faked by counterfeiters, whereas the original product had already been registered and approved by the agency," he stated. "Pregabalin is a controlled drug solely used for neurological challenges. Anybody involved in counterfeiting should know they are in for a hard time at this period because NAFDAC has zero tolerance for counterfeiting" .
According to the NAFDAC director, the products were intercepted through intelligence sharing and joint operations involving the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Nigeria Customs Service, and NAFDAC. He disclosed that the fake drugs were allegedly smuggled into the country through the Kano airport. "It is a joint effort. We discovered that some people are bringing in these products through unapproved rules and using different means to clear them and declare them wrongly to Customs so that they can pass," Iluyomade revealed. "The information was shared, and we swung into action to apprehend the products coming in through Kano Airport" .
Iluyomade further disclosed that within the past two months, enforcement officers had intercepted 503 cartons of Pregabalin Capsules IP 300mg, amounting to approximately 11 million doses. "We are destroying these drugs to show accountability, and to show that nobody is here to play games with the health of Nigerians," he said. He cautioned Nigerians about how some manufacturers clone drugs already registered by taking the original drugs to different countries to be duplicated. "The products are not going back into the system, which is very crucial for us. We are here to safeguard the health of the nation. Hence, the destruction is to show accountability and demonstrate that nobody is here to play games with the health of Nigerians" .
Also speaking at the event, the Director of the North-West Zone of NAFDAC, Dadi Mullah-Natim, said the zone regularly conducts inspections of approved manufacturing facilities to ensure compliance with good manufacturing practices for regulated products intended for public use. Mullah-Natim explained that the agency goes routinely to check facilities, processes, distribution networks, and stores during post-marketing surveillance activities to ensure that products that leave the factory are also in the same condition in which they were produced in the warehouses where they are being distributed. "We checkmate whatever product is produced by production facilities in Nigeria that have been approved by NAFDAC," he said .
The zonal director urged the public to stop buying products without receipts, advising that receipts must be documented in such a way that they can trace where the product is coming from. He encouraged Nigerians to purchase medicines only from regulated sources, such as licensed pharmacies and accredited medical stores, and to always request receipts for traceability purposes. This advice comes amid growing concerns about the proliferation of counterfeit drugs in Nigeria's pharmaceutical supply chain, which has been linked to treatment failures, worsening infections, and the development of drug-resistant diseases .
NAFDAC has intensified enforcement operations across the country in recent months as part of efforts to curb the circulation of fake and substandard pharmaceutical products. The agency has been working closely with other government agencies, including the Nigeria Customs Service and the Office of the National Security Adviser, to intercept smuggled counterfeit drugs at entry points and prevent them from reaching consumers. The Kaduna destruction exercise follows similar operations in other parts of the country, reflecting NAFDAC's sustained campaign against counterfeiters and its commitment to protecting public health.
The destruction of the ₦2 billion worth of fake drugs in Kaduna sends a clear warning to criminal syndicates operating within Nigeria's pharmaceutical supply chain. It also highlights the sophisticated methods used by counterfeiters, who have become more adept at cloning registered medicines to resemble genuine products. By intercepting 11 million doses of fake Pregabalin capsules and publicly destroying them, NAFDAC aims to disrupt the counterfeit drug trade and reassure Nigerians that the agency is taking concrete steps to safeguard their health. As Iluyomade declared during the exercise: "We are not here to play games with the health of Nigerians."
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