The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has reopened shops belonging to traders cleared of wrongdoing in Abia markets, following a crackdown on fake drugs and substandard products. The decision was announced by Martins Iluyomade, South-East Zonal Director of NAFDAC, after an appeal from the Abia State government.
Only traders found innocent will regain access to their shops, while those implicated in the sale of counterfeit medicines will face prosecution. Iluyomade emphasized NAFDAC’s commitment to sanitizing the drug market and protecting public health.
The reopening is a welcome relief for traders who were not involved in the sale of fake drugs. Representatives from Eziukwu Market, Ariaria International Market, Ekumi Plaza, and Tenant Road Medicine Dealers attended a roundtable discussion to discuss the reopening.
Meanwhile, Afenifere, a pan-Yoruba sociopolitical organization, has called on the Federal Government to protect NAFDAC Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, who has received threats to her life. Adeyeye had raised concerns about the dangers faced by NAFDAC officials while combating counterfeit pharmaceuticals and renewed her call for stricter penalties, including the death sentence, against dealers in fake drugs.
Afenifere warned that any attack on Adeyeye would be an assault on national security and urged President Bola Tinubu to upgrade security around the NAFDAC DG, her family, and her operatives.
