The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Thursday in Abuja raided Sahad stores and H-Medix Stores, two popular supermarket chains in Abuja for selling some counterfeit products.

The agency specifically raided H-Medix in Wuse 2 and Gwarinpa, 3rd Avenue, as well as Utako market, all in the FCT.

During the raid at H-Medix, the agency discovered and seized counterfeit cosmetics, while fake drugs were also confiscated at Utako market.

Mr Embugushiki-Musa Godiya, the NAFDAC Head of Investigation and Enforcement/Federal Taskforce, FCT, Abuja, said the enforcement team had also raided Kugbo market in Nyanya and Mararaba axis in Nasarawa State on Tuesday.

He told newsmen that the team equally raided Wuse Market on Wednesday, where goods worth millions were seized.

Godiya said that the three-day operation was carried out based on intelligent report the agency gathered from well meaning Nigerians.

“We have been able to successfully recover some of the counterfeit products, evacuate them for destruction. Our concern is one of the products, purported to be NIVEA NAFDAC regulated product, but it is not.

“The most shocking to me is that such substandard NIVEA cream and other cosmetics are even more expensive than the ones approved by NAFDAC, this is criminal.

“The market value of what we have seen so far for drug hawking is N5 million, and for the NIVEA products, other cosmetics and other products including Jik bleach, Harpic toilet cleaner and Airwick room freshner, all counterfeit in large quantity, valued at N45 million.

“The total value of all the goods seized during the operation is N50 million”, the head of operations said.

He said such counterfeit products could cause cancer to the body, damage the kidney and rashes.

He urged perpetrators of such acts to desist from it, stressing that “NAFDAC enforcement will make sure it gets to the root of the syndicate that imports these products.”

He said the agency has zero tolerance to compromised standard, adding that

“NAFDAC will arrest whosoever is involved in this crime,” he said.

He called on Nigerians to be careful with the kind of products they buy, always watch out for NAFDAC registration number before they buy.

Godiya also urged Nigerians to stop partronising drug hawkers for their safety, saying “people must shine their eyes before they purchase any product.” (NAN)

The raid on Sahad and H-Medix Stores underpin the continuing effort by NAFDAC to rid the country of counterfit products.