The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has shut down two Chinese-owned supermarkets in Jabi District and sealed eight cosmetics shops in Wuse Market, Abuja, for violating Nigeria’s food and drug safety regulations.
In a statement released on Friday and signed by the Deputy Director of Public Relations/Protocol, Adegboyega Osiyemi, the agency disclosed that products worth over ₦170 million were confiscated during the enforcement operation.
The operation was carried out by officials from NAFDAC’s Investigation and Enforcement Directorate alongside members of the Federal Task Force on Counterfeit and Substandard Medicines, led by Assistant Chief Regulatory Officer, Musa Embugushiki.
The supermarkets, located on Mike Akhigbe Way and Ebitu Ukiwe Street in Jabi, were sealed after consumer complaints and surveillance revealed they were selling unregistered food products labelled exclusively in Chinese, in violation of Nigeria’s mandatory English labelling policy.
“Despite initial resistance and denials by the foreign national at Ebitu Street that the supermarket had yet to commence operation, the enforcement team confirmed that the outlet was fully operational and selling unregistered regulated products,” NAFDAC stated.
In a related crackdown, eight cosmetics shops in Wuse Market were sealed for selling banned, expired, and unregistered cosmetics, aphrodisiacs, and aesthetic medicines. Some shop operators were reportedly posing as dermatologists and pharmacists while selling harmful products under the guise of body enhancement, skin whitening, and sexual performance boosters.
Products seized during the raid include Wenicks Capsules, Maxman Capsules, Boobs Enlargement products, Curvy Weight Gain, Skin Whitening Gummies, Collagen, Royal Jelly, Glutathione Whitening Gummies, White Doll, Dr. Gallery Plus, and several unregistered herbal medicines.
NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to protecting Nigerians from toxic substances linked to severe health risks such as skin cancer, kidney damage, irritability, and memory loss.
The agency also advised consumers to buy only NAFDAC-registered products and warned foreign investors to comply with regulatory procedures by registering all products with the agency before introducing them into the Nigerian market.
