The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has shut down two Chinese-owned supermarkets in Abuja after discovering they were selling unapproved and potentially harmful products.
The supermarkets, located at No. 40 Mike Akhigbe Way and No. 61 Ebitu Ukiwe Street in Jabi, were sealed following an enforcement raid by NAFDAC’s Investigation and Enforcement Directorate. Officials revealed that the stores had stocked imported items labeled only in Chinese, without English translations, in violation of Nigeria’s food and drug labeling laws.
In the same operation, NAFDAC also sealed eight shops at Wuse Market for distributing banned sex enhancement pills and body creams that claimed to enlarge body parts. According to investigators, the products were made with toxic chemicals and posed serious health risks to unsuspecting buyers.
The Head of NAFDAC’s Investigation and Enforcement Unit in Abuja, Mr. Embugushiki-Musa Godiya, confirmed that the total value of the seized goods was estimated at N170 million. He disclosed that some traders went as far as impersonating doctors and pharmacists while selling unapproved drugs, including a locally marketed substance known as “kayanmata oil,” which was also seized.
Godiya said the raids followed public complaints from consumers who raised alarm about suspicious and unsafe products being sold in foreign-owned shops. He explained that NAFDAC has placed warehouses belonging to the supermarkets under lock, while their owners have been invited for further questioning.
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“All products discovered in these supermarkets have been confiscated, and in cases where we could not evacuate everything, the warehouses were sealed off completely,” he said. “The safety of Nigerians is our top priority. Any product that has not been evaluated and approved cannot be guaranteed to be safe.”
NAFDAC urged the public to remain vigilant and avoid purchasing items that do not have clear labeling, proper approvals, or NAFDAC registration numbers.
This latest enforcement action comes as part of NAFDAC’s wider crackdown on unregulated products flooding Nigerian markets, especially those imported without compliance with health and safety standards.
