By Eben Enasco Kingsley, Benin City

National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has  what it calls the high volume of adulterated, fake and substandard hot drinks in most markets and shops in urban centres of Edo state.

The agency in its primary obligations carried routine operations in
some business centres discovered where these products are being sold to unsuspected members of the public while urging traders and
consumers to buy processed drinks from only accredited distributors to avoid purchase of fake drinks.

Speaking shortly to newsmen after one of its enforcement operations
held simultaneously in Benin City and Auchi the State Coordinator,
NAFDAC,Mr David West disclosed that about 20 cartons of different
brands of popular alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks were seized from 12 shops located at three different locations in state capital.

He stated that cartons of Fake Tramadol, a controlled drug and several cartons of expired drugs such as Febecap, Augmentine were also seized from a patent medicine shop in Auchi, while those involved have been handed over to the police for onward prosecution.

Similarly,Chief Regulatory Officer, Enforcement Operations, NAFDAC, Mr. Joseph Idowu, said the enforcement held in Benin was part of national efforts to remove fake and unwholesomely processed drinks from the country.

“From the areas we have covered in Benin,we have seen a lot of
counterfeit drinks which we have seized and loaded in two vehicles. We decided to carry out this enforcement on wines sellers because of the report of surveillance we got on wines”.

Adding, “Enforcement is an on-going process and NAFDAC is worried about the rate of fake products in the country.We are seeking the support of the media and other stakeholders to help in this campaign against fake products”.

Meanwhile, Mr. Godwin Okonofua, Chairman, Edo state Task force on Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesomely Processed Food, who was also part of the NAFDAC enforcement Team in Benin submitted that the sale of fake drinks along side with the original ones was worrisome whilst could cause kidney related diseases.