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NAFDAC Seals Chinese Supermarkets, Cosmetics Shops in Abuja
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has shut down two Chinese-owned supermarkets in Abuja’s Jabi District and eight cosmetics shops at Wuse Market for flagrant violations of regulatory laws.
In a press statement released on Friday, Deputy Director of Public Relations and Protocol, Adegboyega Osiyemi, confirmed that the agency confiscated and evacuated unregistered products worth over N170 million.
According to the statement, the enforcement exercise was carried out by the NAFDAC Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, alongside the Federal Task Force on Counterfeit and Substandard Medicines and Unwholesome Processed Foods. The operation was led by Assistant Chief Regulatory Officer, Musa Embugushiki.
“Acting on the directive of the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the enforcement team confiscated and evacuated offending products worth over N170m,” the agency said.
The affected supermarkets, located on Mike Akhigbe Way and Ebitu Ukiwe Street in Jabi, were sealed after credible consumer complaints and surveillance revealed that they were selling unregistered food items and products labelled exclusively in Chinese, violating NAFDAC’s mandatory English labelling policy.
Despite initial denials from a foreign national at the Ebitu Ukiwe outlet, investigators confirmed that the store was operational and stocked with unregistered goods.
In a related operation, NAFDAC also sealed eight cosmetics shops at Wuse Market for selling banned, expired, and unregistered cosmetics, aphrodisiacs, and aesthetic medicines.
The agency disclosed that some individuals posed as dermatologists and pharmacists, prescribing harmful products for skin whitening, body enhancement, and sexual performance, thereby endangering consumers.
Seized products included Wenicks Capsules, Maxman Capsules, Boobs Enlargement Cream, Curvy Weight Gain, Skin Whitening Vitamin Gummies, Collagen, Royal Jelly, Glutathione Whitening Gummies, White Doll, Dr. Gallery Plus, Maiz Zaki Syrup, Herbal Yellow Fever Medicine, and White Blinks, among others.
Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, NAFDAC DG, reiterated the agency’s commitment to public safety.
“The agency hereby reaffirms its mandate to protect the health of Nigerians against exposure to dangerous chemicals and toxic substances which are linked to serious health risks, including skin cancer, kidney damage, irritability, and memory loss.”
NAFDAC advised Nigerians to buy only duly registered products and urged foreign investors to visit NAFDAC offices for proper product registration before selling in Nigeria.
