By Seyi Babalola
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has called out social media commentator known as VeryDarkMan (VDM) for making an inciting statement advocating resistance of federal regulatory standards.
The agency announced this in a statement signed by its Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, on Monday.
According to her, the influencer’s viral video distorted NAFDAC’s operations at Onitsha Bridge Head Market and may have violated the Cybercrime Act.
“What this perpetrator has done is that he has openly told his audience to defy the regulatory processes of NAFDAC following the enforcement operation carried out under the Office of the National Security Adviser,” the statement read.
NAFDAC explained that its recent enforcement at open drug markets in Idumota, Aba, and Onitsha uncovered banned, expired, and falsified narcotic drugs worth over a trillion naira.
According to the agency, “All the warehouses, shops and parking stores in the three Open Drug Markets did not meet the minimum requirements of Good Storage and Distribution Practices.”
Adeyeye also pointed out that “The remaining few shops whose owners have refused to come forward for identification are the ones with outrightly banned narcotics according to our database. The cartel, along with their co-conspirators, are the ones creating incitements.”
Reiterating its mandate, NAFDAC said it is working to ensure that all medicines and regulated products in circulation are safe, effective, and of good quality.
“NAFDAC will continue to safeguard the health of the nation. Our duty is to reduce the incidence of untimely deaths caused by fake or substandard medicines,” the DG noted.
The agency added that it will let security personnel decide whether the influencer has broken any laws, but cautioned that activities capable of encouraging traders or undermining regulatory authorities will not be condoned.