The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has warned against obstruction of its personnel while carrying out enforcement operations against substandard drugs and falsified goods.
The Director of Investigation and Enforcement, NAFDAC, Shaba Mohammed, gave the warning in Abuja on Wednesday.
Mohammed, also the Chairman, Federal Task Force on Fake and Counterfeit Product, said some of the drug hawkers and touts who attacked the enforcement team of the agency in February have been arraigned in court.
He said some of those involved in the attack were facing trial before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of Federal High Court, Abuja, adding that the arraignment would serve as a deterrent to those with similar intentions.
“Those arraigned recently in the court are part of those who attacked NAFDAC officials while on enforcement duty some months ago.
“Arraigning them in court is to pay for their sins, this is also to advise the public to desist from attacking NAFDAC staff while on duty.
“I will not say there are no counterfeit products in circulation. But such products are brought into the country by unscrupulous elements who do not mean well for the country'', he said.
According to him, such criminals who bring in counterfeit drugs use hawkers to push them into circulation, adding that NAFDAC will not stop arresting hawkers until the whole system is sanitized.
The director said arresting the hawkers would help NAFDAC in tracking the sources of counterfeit products whether imported or produced locally.
He said as the director of investigation and enforcement in NAFDAC, he would work closely with the Federal Task Force, which comprises other related agencies to rid the country of counterfeit drugs and goods.
Mohammed listed some of the organizations in the about to be inaugurated team as Pharmacist Council of Nigeria, and Customs Service, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Council (FCCPC).
He said that one of the strategies the task force would be using to curb fake drugs out of the country is the manning of point of entry into the country to intercept all counterfeit products.
