NAFDAC has come under fire and is currently facing public scrutiny over the alleged extortion of Drug Traders.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is facing intense public scrutiny following widespread allegations of extortion from drug traders in major Nigerian markets.
The controversy intensified after a series of enforcement raids across open drug markets in Idumota (Lagos), Aba, and the Onitsha Bridge Head Market, which led to the closure of thousands of shops for non-compliance with regulatory standards.
Amidst public outcry, a viral video by social media influencer Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), claimed that NAFDAC demanded as much as ₦700,000 from affected traders to reopen their shops. Although the agency did not directly address this specific allegation, it responded by accusing VDM of inciting traders to defy regulatory directives, an act it warned could violate the Cybercrime Act.
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NAFDAC Director General, Prof. Christiana Adeyeye, defended the agency’s enforcement actions, stating that over 2,500 compliant traders have since resumed operations. She maintained that the markets were initially shut down due to “significant violations” in drug storage and distribution, including the presence of banned and substandard products valued at over ₦1 trillion.
“These markets lacked registration and failed to comply with Good Storage and Distribution Practices, posing a grave risk to public health,” Adeyeye said.
She alleged that the few traders still resisting NAFDAC’s mandates were connected to illicit narcotics and were working with influencers to stir public resentment against the agency.
Meanwhile, NewsOnline Nigeriareports that that the House of Representatives member, Hon. Sesi Oluwaseun Whingan, representing Badagry Federal Constituency, has weighed in on the controversy. While reaffirming NAFDAC’s regulatory authority, he condemned any act of extortion and urged affected traders to submit formal petitions through his office.
“Extortion under the guise of regulation will not be tolerated. I stand with the traders in their call for fairness and justice,” he said in a statement, encouraging traders to present credible evidence of wrongdoing.
He further cautioned against making unverified claims on social media, warning that such actions could derail meaningful solutions.
NAFDAC emphasized that it remains committed to ensuring all medicines and medical products meet national safety standards. The agency reiterated its call for public support in its mission to eliminate counterfeit drugs and dismantle illegal pharmaceutical networks.
“The merchants of death fueling insecurity and peddling fake medicines will face the full wrath of the law,” the agency said, while calling on security agencies to investigate ongoing threats to its enforcement efforts.
