NAFDAC DG Prof.Moji Adeyeye
The
National Agency For Foods, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), today raided
motor parks and other illegal drug selling points in Jos
No fewer than 50 hawkers and their drugs
packaged in long wooden carriers were ferried into security vehicles.
The
areas raided included Kufang, Miango-Low-Cost Housing Road, Yingi-Rayfield Road
and Amusement Park/Solomon Lar Way, all within Jos metropolis.
Speaking
to the press, Mrs Josephine Dayilim, NAFDAC Deputy Director in charge of
North-Central, said that the drug control agency was forced to constitute a
team of regulatory officers from the Plateau office after it received several
complaints from concerned citizens.
“We
had a barrage of complaints and quickly embarked on surveillance; from our
checks, we found out that the illegal drugs hawkers were mostly youths carrying
their wares in wooden carriers are from neighbouring states hit by insurgencies.
“The
youths move with their wares which they sell to members of the public, mostly
on the streets, motor parks, recreation centres and markets, after convincing
them of the efficacy of the said drugs.
“The
situation is dangerous in all dimensions – first the drugs are illegal, poorly
prepared and get even more medically acidic when exposed to the harsh and
extreme weather conditions of high temperature and high moisture conditions
when it rains,” she said.
Dayilim
said that most of the wares were sex-enhancing drugs with very offensive
pictures on the packs.
“The
drugs have not been registered by NAFDAC. Aside from the sex-enhancing drugs,
the hawkers also have some antibiotics, antimalarials, analgesics, condoms and
even tramadol, which is a controlled drug.
“Some
of the sex-enhancing drugs (sildenafil citrate tablets) seized by NAFDAC had
names like Tiveka, My Love, Hyergra, Lady Killer, Night Rider, African Viagra,
Hyiagra, King of Jelly, Black Force,
Black Diamond, among others.
“Some
of the drugs are often abused which could lead to convulsion, coma and even
death, especially since the hawkers do not know much about directions for use,”
she lamented.
Dayilim
said that NAFDAC was forced to raid the selling points after it tried without
success, through various sensitisation/awareness creation meetings, to convince
them to abandon the illegal trade.
“At
those meetings, we tried to enlighten them on the dangers of hawking drugs and side effects on people.
“We
told them that the drugs were losing their potency and becoming poisonous due
to direct sunlight and high moisture effects.
“We
also told them that most of what they were selling were fake, with a massive
rate of treatment failures reported to NAFDAC, by the users.
“We
also told them that most of the drugs were unregistered and expired and had
always destroyed the body organs of the users, and warned them of the penalty
stipulated for such offences in the nation’s statute books.
“After
the enlightenment, we advised them to shun drug hawking and enter into other
means of livelihood that will not endanger human lives.
“It
was after that exercise that we decided to descend on the hawkers so that they
will face the full weight of their actions,” she said, adding that none of them
would be spared the wrath of the law.
Dayilim
advised members of the public to stop patronising illegal drug hawkers and
purchase their drugs only from registered pharmacy outlets and patent medicine
stores so as to keep the hawkers out of business.
“Once
there are no buyers, there will be sellers; NAFDAC is out to safeguard life,”
she declared.
She
said that the sensitisations were carried out in Bukuru, Miango,
Marraraba-Jamaa, Katako, Rayfield, adding that the exercise would be sustained
until the state was rid of such illegal drugs.
Dayilim
said that NAFDAC had also embarked on massive campaigns to educate members of
the public on food safety issues such as misuse of calcium carbide for ripening
of banana and other fruits, and the adulteration of palm oil with azodyes to
enhance the colour.
Other
evil practises, she said, included misuse of pesticides to preserve beans,
maize, dried fish and stockfish.
“Such
preservation methods can cause serious health consequences such as cancer; we
also want to enlighten people on the ban on the use of Potassium Bromate in
baking bread since the chemical could cause a breakdown of the vitamins in
bread, and lead to kidney failure and cancer.”
She
further emphasised the ban on the use of sniper and other brands of diclorvos
(DDVP) as a household insecticide, and against its direct application on food
and its abuse by youths to commit suicide.
According
to her, “NAFDAC is already mopping up 100ml sniper and other brands of
diclorvos (DDVP) formulations from the open markets and supermarkets because it
is criminal and highly dangerous to health as it causes respiratory disorders
and cancer.”
Dayilim
also warned members of the public against the sale or consumption of products
not duly registered by NAFDAC and foods not fortified with Vitamin A like
flour, sugar and vegetable oil.
“Members
of the public should ensure they buy only NAFDAC-approved food, drugs,
cosmetics, detergents and packaged drinks. Such products will usually have
batch numbers, manufacturing and expiry dates, directions for use and storage
conditions,” she said.
