The Kano State Government has intensified its campaign against the sale of counterfeit and unapproved medicines following the confiscation of fake drugs valued at more than N200 million across the state.
The illicit products were intercepted during a coordinated operation carried out within the Kano metropolis by the Kano State Committee on Motor Parks and Other Public Places.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by Balarabe Abdullahi-Kiru, Director of Public Enlightenment at the Ministry of Information and Internal Affairs.
According to the statement, the seized pharmaceutical products were not certified by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, raising concerns over their safety and quality.
The operation involved a joint task force comprising the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Nigeria Police Force, and the Nigeria Immigration Service.
Authorities said the raid was spearheaded by the Chairman of the committee, Maj. Adamu Abubakar-Usman, after intelligence reports exposed the illegal storage and distribution network.
Addressing journalists during the exercise, Abubakar-Usman revealed that the fake drugs were discovered inside an abandoned structure where they were allegedly kept in poor sanitary conditions and exposed to excessive heat.
“These drugs lacked NAFDAC certification and therefore pose a serious danger to public health, especially to women and children.
“Storing drugs under excessive heat and poor sanitary conditions can compromise their efficacy and cause serious harm to consumers, particularly when they are not approved by the relevant authorities,” he added.
He assured residents that the committee would sustain its partnership with security and health agencies to eliminate fake drug trafficking and ensure perpetrators face prosecution.
Also speaking, Dr Danyaro Ali-Yakasai urged members of the public to always verify the authenticity of medicines before buying them and to alert authorities about suspicious drug dealers.
He reaffirmed the state government’s determination to clamp down on activities capable of endangering the lives of residents.
Earlier, Ya’u Malam-Yakubu disclosed that the recovered items included 55 cartons of Super Sexy, 144 cartons of Bold Brown/Body Bliss, 70 cartons of Lion King/Hygra, as well as three sacks containing empty packaging materials.
