On Monday, some hoodlums attacked NAFDAC officials who were conducting an enforcement operation against substandard medications in Abuja.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the hoodlums attacked the officials during a raid at the Area 1 vehicle park.
The hoodlums harassed the enforcement agents, including mobile cops, and stoned the Agency’s car, breaking its windshield.
Before journalists and NAFDAC officers could flee for safety, police officers fired six shots into the air and used tear gas to disperse the hoodlums.
The team leader, Mr Umar-Ahmed Suleiman, an Assistant Chief Regulatory Officer of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), stated that the search was carried out in response to intelligence received by the agency about a large volume of substandard medications in the park.
“This exercise that we just conducted today at Area 1 motor park is as a result of an intelligence report received from DSS in 2023, although we have done some part of it then, we are trying to conclude the operation.
“You can see a lot of drug hawkers relaxed selling their products and people patronising them, that was why we raided the place.
“What happened is a normal thing to us in the investigation and enforcement unit of NAFDAC.
“That is why anytime we are going, we go with our armed mobile police officers, and Investigative Police Officers in case of any arrest.
“On our arrival here today, we swung into action but to my surprise, we have not even done half of the work, when the drug hawkers all absconded, not knowing that they were re-enforcing against NAFDAC.
“They came back in full force, attacking us, you can see our vehicle how they broke the glass, throwing stones on us.
“Thank God for the gunshot and teargas released on them and we had to leave the scene,” he said.
Suleiman, however, said that the enforcement unit would reinforce, prepare more, do the needful.
He said in spite of the attack, the enforcement team was able to seize some controlled drugs including Rohypnol, Dizapam, Tramadol 500mg, Tramadol 225mg, Cocodamol and so many other afrodisiac with some codeine syrups.
According to him, the value of the drug seized is more than N5 million.
“Area 1 motor park is a troublesome area for substandard drug sales and the enforcement unit will be going back there to complete the operation,” he said