Drug enforcement agents in Lagos just uncovered what might be one of the most dangerous counterfeiting operations they’ve seen this year – ₦1.2 billion worth of fake malaria medications that could have ended up in pharmacies across Nigeria.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) raided a warehouse in Ilasa-Oshodi and discovered 277 cartons of counterfeit drugs branded as “Malamal Forte,” all illegally smuggled in from China.
What makes this bust particularly shocking is how sophisticated the smuggling operation was. The criminals didn’t just bring in fake drugs – they went to great lengths to hide them.
The counterfeit malaria medications were stuffed inside cartons that were supposed to contain Diclofenac Potassium 50mg, a completely different type of medicine. Even more brazen, the shipping documents listed the cargo as “spare parts” to throw customs officials off the scent.
The fake drugs originally came from Shanxi Tianyuan Pharmaceuticals Group in China, but somehow made their way into a Lagos warehouse where they were probably being prepared for distribution across the country.
NAFDAC‘s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, made it clear that this crackdown isn’t just another routine operation – it has backing from the very top.
“This seizure is part of our sustained efforts to protect Nigerians from the dangers of fake and unregistered medicines,” she explained. “We’re determined to ensure only safe, quality and effective drugs make it into the country.”
The fact that both the Presidency and the Federal Ministry of Health are fully supporting these operations shows just how serious the government is about tackling this problem.
In a country where malaria remains one of the biggest killers, fake anti-malaria drugs aren’t just a scam, they’re potentially deadly.
People who think they’re treating malaria with these counterfeit medications could see their conditions worsen or develop drug-resistant strains of the disease.
NAFDAC officials are warning that this warehouse bust is just part of a much larger, nationwide effort to root out counterfeit medicines that have been endangering millions of Nigerians for years.
