The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has said it has destroyed over N5 billion worth of seized unwholesome products in the last five months.
The Director-General of the agency Prof. Moji Adeyeye made the disclosure in a statement on Sunday.
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The destroyed products include drugs such as antibiotics, antihypertensive, antimalaria, herbal remedies, psychoactive, and controlled substances.
It also comprise food products such as spaghetti, vegetable oil, non-alcoholic beverages, sachet water, noodles, as well as cosmetics such as creams, pomade, and insecticides.
The NAFDAC boss said the agency destroyed unwholesome medicines, expired processed food items and cosmetics worth N1, 429,580,683.00 in Awka, South-South, and Southeast in March, and also destroyed N2,482,600,290 of such products seized in Shagamu, Ogun for the Southwest last week.
Also destroyed, she said, is N613,300,290.00 worth of unwholesome products in Kano in March and also destroyed such products worth N515,732.587 in Gombe in May for the North West and North-East zones respectively.
While assuring Nigerians that the agency would stop at nothing to apprehend people engaged in illicit business of endangering the lives of undiscerning consumers, she said the destruction was part of the efforts to rid the Nigerian market of unwholesome products and engender public confidence.
She advised members of the public against patronizing unlabeled products, and called on states, local government areas, foundations, and other corporate bodies to support the fight.
The NAFDAC DG also called on the judiciary to always apply tougher penalties against those found guilty of drug counterfeiting, expired processed food, and repugnant cosmetics.
