The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has issued a stark warning, stating that drug hawkers are not only primary distributors but also suppliers of narcotic medicines to criminal networks such as armed bandits, insurgents, kidnappers, and armed robbers.
Addressing participants at a one-day media sensitization workshop on the dangers of drug hawking and the use of Calcium Carbide for ripening fruits, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Moji Christianah Adeyeye, underscored the gravity of this illicit trade, which poses a significant threat to our national security.
The sensitization workshop, organized by the North-East Zone of NAFDAC, took place in Bauchi yesterday.
According to Prof. Adeyeye, most of the drugs sold by these hawkers fail to meet the stringent quality, safety, and efficacy requirements of regulated medicines.
Meanwhile, NAFDAC remains steadfast in its commitment to eradicate this hazardous trade.
“Drugs are not ordinary commodities to be peddled in the streets, motor parks, or open markets. They are sensitive and life-saving products,” she emphasized, adding, “Any drug hawker caught by NAFDAC will face prosecution and imprisonment. Our Enforcement Officers are currently executing synchronized nationwide operations to clamp down on these offenders.”
Prof. Adeyeye further warned that no offender, regardless of their status or influence, will go unpunished, stating, “We urge the cooperation and support of all law enforcement agencies, journalists, and well-meaning Nigerians in rid the country of this harmful and disgraceful practice.”
The Director-General, represented by Dr. Leonard Omokpariola, the Director of Chemical Evaluation and Research at NAFDAC, disclosed that concerned Nigerians have called for stringent regulatory actions to combat the perilous rise of drug hawkers and sellers of chemically ripened fruits using Calcium Carbide.
She lamented the devastating consequences of fake drugs and the use of harmful chemicals in ripening fruits, which have claimed the lives of unsuspecting citizens.
