The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, (NAFDAC) has launched its campaign against fake and Counterfeit Drugs in some local government areas in Rivers.
Briefing newsmen at the end of a routine inspection on Tuesday in Okrika, headquarters of Okrika Local Government Area in Rivers, the Director in charge of Ports Inspection in the agency, Mr Mommodu Mommodu said the agency had commenced carrying out inspections in rural areas.
However, NAFDAC, from time to time carries out routine inspection to ascertain genuine drugs, as well as detect fake and counterfeit drugs in circulation.
The agency carried out inspection in Okrika and Eleme local government areas, where it officials also seized some fake and counterfeit drugs from some of the patent medicine sellers in the two local government areas.
Mommodu said that fake and counterfeit drugs discovered at the urban areas were being shipped to rural areas by drug dealers.
He said that since dealers have changed strategy, the agency had to adopt other strategies in the fight against illicit drugs and counterfeiting.
The director said that manufacturers of fake and counterfeit drugs should desist or face the wrath of the law.
“ We are waiting for them at the airport, the sea port, every where we are ready to fight them until we eradicate or bring to the barest minimum the circulation of fake and counterfeit drugs in the nation,” he added.?
He said NAFDAC had entered into negotiations with some foreign governments in a bid to stop manufacturers from importing fake drugs into Nigeria.
Mommodu called on Nigerians to report dealers and manufacturers of fake and counterfeit drugs to NAFDAC as a way of checking the menace.
He said the agency had embarked on sensitization workshops, seminars, enlightenment, and campaigns among other means, to educate consumers on how to detect fake and counterfeit drugs.?