Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the director general of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), claims that her organisation has seized tramadol canisters valued more than N1.7 trillion since 2018.
She mentioned that it has increased surveillance in conjunction with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and other law enforcement organisations, notably at the ports where it had been missing between 2011 and 2018.
The D-G urged healthcare professionals to educate the public about the risks of substandard products after the World Health Organization (WHO) was informed in September of this year about the deaths of over 66 children in the Gambia who ingested some brands of cough syrups produced by an Indian pharmaceutical company.
At a briefing in Abuja, Prof. Adeyeye said: “Before now, NAFDAC was not at the port for seven years (2011 to 2018).
“We have seized over N1.7 trillion of tramadol containers since then.”
Concerning the killer cough syrups, she said the agency has put measures in place to prevent their entry into the country.
“The public is advised to report any suspicious activity to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) (+2348093322644) or the Department of State Services (DSS) (+2349153391309).
“For matters of international dimension, call UK Interpol (+44 797 115 3192) or the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (+1-800-225-5324).”