Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Veteran Nollywood actress Ngozi Ezeonu has raised alarm over the circulation of fake and potentially unsafe medicines, food products and baby formula in Nigeria, pleading with those involved to stop putting innocent lives at risk for profit.
Ezeonu made the appeal in a video shared online on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, in which she expressed concern over what she described as the increasing presence of fake products in the Nigerian market.
The actress said she was particularly disturbed by reports of young people battling kidney and liver-related ailments, suggesting that some illnesses could be linked to the consumption of unsafe or counterfeit medicines and food products.
She questioned the motivation of people who manufacture or distribute fake products for financial gain while consumers bear the consequences.
“I know we have to be rich but it should not be at the detriment of innocent lives,” Ezeonu said in the video, according to reports on her remarks. “What would you gain when people die because you have to make money?”
She appealed directly to people involved in the production and distribution of counterfeit medicines.
“If you are one of the people doing fake drugs, please stop. People are dying. Our children are dying,” she said.
Ezeonu also raised concern over products consumed by children, alleging that fake versions of common drinks and baby formula were circulating.
“Common drinks children take, we now have a lot of fake of them, children's formula, fake,” she said.
The actress further appealed to Nigerians not to become “their own enemies”, stressing that financial gain should not come at the expense of other people's lives.
Her comments come amid continuing concerns in Nigeria over substandard and falsified medicines and other regulated products.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has repeatedly issued public alerts concerning unregistered, counterfeit and substandard medical products. In one of its alerts, NAFDAC warned that illegally marketed substandard and falsified medicines pose health risks because their safety, quality and efficacy cannot be guaranteed.
The agency also maintains an online platform through which members of the public can verify the registration status of regulated products using their NAFDAC numbers.
Ezeonu's intervention has added to renewed public discussion around the safety of medicines and food products, particularly those consumed by children.
Her remarks, however, represent her concerns and observations and do not independently establish that fake medicines or food products are responsible for particular cases of kidney or liver disease. Such medical links would require confirmation from qualified health professionals and relevant regulatory authorities.
The actress ended her appeal by questioning the value of accumulating wealth if it comes at the cost of other people's lives, urging those involved in the production and sale of fake products to reconsider their actions.
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