Labour Party Caucus Backs NAFDAC , Cautions On Crackdown On Fake Drugs

By Chuks Eke*

The Labour Party (LP) caucus in the House of Representatives praised the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for its ongoing efforts to combat the spread of fake and counterfeit medicines.

However, the caucus expressed serious concerns about the agency’s recent enforcement actions, urging NAFDAC to exercise greater caution and avoid unfairly affecting innocent businesses.

NAFDAC recently raided and closed medicine markets in Idumota (Lagos), Ariaria (Aba), and Onitsha (Anambra).

While the agency stated that the operations were intended to eliminate substandard and counterfeit drugs, many traders have complained about the blanket nature of the closures, which resulted in significant financial losses and disruption to legitimate businesses.

Hon. Afam Victor Ogene, Leader of the LP and Anambra State caucuses in the House of Representatives, released a statement yesterday expressing the party’s concerns.

“While we applaud NAFDAC’s efforts to combat fake drugs,” he said, “we urge them to follow global best practices and ensure legitimate traders are not unfairly penalised.”

Hon. Ogene cited reports that NAFDAC officials sealed markets, denied traders access, and forcibly entered shops to confiscate pharmaceuticals without allowing owners to witness or take inventory.

He expressed concern about traders and Point of Sale (POS) operators who are now unable to access cash left in their stores after the weekend closures.

Hon. Ogene expresses particular concern about the situation in Onitsha. NAFDAC’s enforcement extended beyond the designated medicine market (Ogbo Ogwu) to include the Plumbing Materials section, resulting in significant losses for traders in that sector as well.

The LP caucus urged NAFDAC to take a more measured approach, weighing its regulatory mandate against the need to protect innocent vendors.

“A sensitive and cautious operation will ensure that the agency’s actions do not adversely affect the livelihoods of law-abiding entrepreneurs and traders,” Hon. Ogene concluded.

The caucus statement urges a thorough review of NAFDAC’s operational procedures to avoid similar incidents in the future.