NAFDAC shuts medicine stores, pharmacies for selling banned substances

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Thursday closed two medicine stores and a pharmacy in the Lagos neighborhoods of Idumota and Surulere for selling unregistered and controlled pharmaceuticals.

Mr Afolabi Aderemi, Deputy Director at NAFDAC’s Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, stated that the operation was carried out in response to intelligence inputs concerning the stores.

Aderemi said: “We are here today because we got a tip-off that controlled drugs are sold in these shops.

“By the virtue of the International Convention, there are 71 drugs that ought not to be sold by individuals or pharmacies and we have evidence that these shops sealed up are into illegal business.

“We are dealing with organized crime here and NAFDAC is doing everything possible to discourage people from buying unregistered drugs.”

He added that the owners of the closed establishments had been invited to the NAFDAC office for further inquiry.