* Confiscates goods worth N170m 

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja 

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has sealed off two chinese supermarkets located in the Jabi District and eight cosmetics shops at Wuse Market, Abuja, confiscating  products worth over N170 million.

The agency also said that it has shut down eight cosmetics shops within Wuse Market for the sale of banned, expired and unregistered cosmetics, aphrodisiacs and aesthetic medicines.

In a statement on Friday signed by its Deputy Director of Public Relations/Protocol, Adegboyega Osiyemi, NAFDAC said: “Acting on the directive of the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the enforcement team confiscated and evacuated offending products worth over N170 million.”

It said the action was as a result of flagrant violation of extant laws governing the sale, distribution, and labelling of regulated products in Nigeria.

The statement said that the supermarkets situated on Mike Akhigbe Way and Ebitu Ukiwe Street in Jabi District, Abuja, were sealed off following credible consumer complaints and subsequent surveillance by NAFDAC Enforcement Team.

According to NAFDAC, its investigations revealed that the operators of the chinese supermarkets were engaged in the sale of unregistered food items and products labelled exclusively in chinese language, contrary to NAFDAC’s mandatory labelling policy requiring English translations for the Nigerian market and regulatory understanding.

“Despite initial resistance and denials by the foreign nationals at Ebitu Street that the supermarket is yet to commence operation, the enforcement team confirmed that the outlet was in full operation and selling unregistered regulated products,” it added.

According to NAFDAC, eight cosmetics shops within Wuse Market were sealed off by its enforcement team for the sale of banned, expired and unregistered cosmetics, aphrodisiacs and aesthetic medicines.

The agency said that certain individuals had been illegally presenting themselves, “as dermatologists and pharmacists, prescribing and selling harmful products to unsuspecting consumers under the guise of body enhancement, skin whitening, aesthetic improvement for ladies and manpower for men.

“Some of the cosmetics products seized include Wenicks Capsules, Maxman Capsules, Boobs Enlargement, Curvy Weight Gain, Skin Whitening Vitamin Gummies, Collagen, Royal Jelly, Glutathone Whitening Gummies, White doll, Dr. Gallery Plus, Maiz Zaki Syrup, Original Herbal Yellow fever, Sickle Cell Medicine, Dr. Nafisa Herbal Medicine, Dynewell Syrup, White Blinks, and so on”.

While responding to the development, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, restated the agency’s mandate to protect the health of Nigerians against exposure to dangerous chemicals and toxic substances which are linked to serious health risks, including skin cancer, kidney damage, irritability and memory loss.

She said NAFDAC is committed to enforcing compliance with regulations and advised Nigerian consumers to patronize only products duly registered by NAFDAC.

She also urged foreign nationals and investors intending to import or market products in Nigeria to visit NAFDAC offices nationwide for product registration and regulatory guidance.

In addition, Adeyeye urged members of the public to report suspicious sales outlets or products to the nearest NAFDAC offices.

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