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By Doris Obinna
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has uncovered an illegal herbal products factory in Agege, Lagos, where unregistered remedies were allegedly manufactured under unhygienic conditions, with one carrying a fake registration number copied from an approved cough syrup.
The agency sealed the makeshift facility, arrested its manager, Abulaziz Sayidu, and launched a manhunt for the alleged owner, Ashietu Adams, who reportedly fled to Ghana.
Deputy Director, Pharmaceutical Division, Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, NAFDAC, Edith Joseph, disclosed this yesterday during an inspection of the facility, warning that the products posed potential health risks to unsuspecting consumers.
Joseph said the agency received intelligence on October 16 about the production of Aishetu Adams Bitters, allegedly bearing a falsified NAFDAC registration number. Surveillance and intelligence gathering subsequently led officers to the facility concealed inside a residential building.
“What we found was shocking. The facility was in a very poor and unhygienic condition. Look at the water they use for production and the environment where the manufacturing takes place. The products are manufactured outdoors, in the open air,” she said.
Three products were identified at the facility: Ashietu Adams Herbal Mixture for sexually transmitted diseases, Ashietu Adams Blood Purifier and another herbal preparation claimed to treat high blood pressure.
Joseph said none of the products was registered with NAFDAC, adding that the number displayed on the blood purifier belonged to a registered cough syrup.
“They simply copied the number and placed it on their product to deceive Nigerians,” she said.
The agency said it had evacuated the products and sealed the premises pending further investigation. Joseph disclosed that Sayidu was arrested for questioning, while Adams, whom the manager identified as a Ghanaian woman, was reportedly away in Ghana.
She said the products’ packaging indicated Ghana as their origin but carried neither the manufacturer’s name nor a verifiable address to establish where they were produced.
Joseph warned Nigerians against assuming that products were safe simply because they displayed NAFDAC registration numbers, urging consumers to verify them through the agency’s online platforms and Greenbook.
She advised people in communities with limited internet access to visit the nearest NAFDAC office to confirm the authenticity of products before buying or consuming them.
Also speaking, Deputy Director, Public Relations, NAFDAC, Mrs. Christiana Obiazikwor, urged Nigerians to report suspected illegal manufacturing operations, warning landlords against allowing their properties to be used for criminal activities.
Obiazikwor said the agency was intensifying public education through radio programmes, multilingual jingles and grassroots campaigns in communities, schools, churches and local government areas.
She stressed that consumers should check manufacturers’ addresses, batch numbers and other identifying details, noting that the products recovered from the facility lacked essential information needed to establish their identity and trace their source.
The spokesperson warned that property owners could face prosecution if found to have aided illegal drug manufacturing, urging them to report suspicious activities on their premises.
“We cannot fight this battle alone. Every Nigerian has a role to play in identifying and reporting places where illegal manufacturing activities are taking place,” she said.
During interrogation, Sayidu said he had worked with Adams for about a year, helping to manage the business when she travelled. He identified Ajetu Adams Vitals, Ajetu Adams STD and Ajetu Adams Blood Purifier as products associated with the business but offered no further details about their manufacture or regulatory status.
NAFDAC said investigations into the operation and the whereabouts of the alleged owner were ongoing.
