NAFDAC Smashes Couple Re-labelling, Repackaging Expired Inj..

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, (NAFDAC), has uncovered an uncompleted building used by a couple to re-label and repackage expired injectables.

The agency made the great uncovering in Azagba-Ogwashi, Aniocha South Local Government Area, Delta and has identified the expired injectables to include gentamicin 280 milligram, chloroquine phosphate 332mg 5 milligram; egometrine injection and unidentified injectables wrapped in wrappers.

Deputy Director in charge of NAFDAC Investigation and Enforcement Federal Task Force for South-South and South-East, Mr. Babatunji Omoyeni, disclosed that some of the injectables had expired as far back as 2018

“We got the information and we swiftly moved into action. The house in Isselle-Azagba is an uncomplicated building of six flats. The suspect and the family, especially the wife are staying in the place”, NAFADC- Investigation & Enforcement Office, Asaba, Omoyeni told newsmen at a briefing, adding that He said the wife of the suspect had been arrested and is in custody.

“We entered, it looked ordinary. Everywhere you just see children playing around and actually, she was plaiting her hair with one of her friends.

“Under the chairs in wrappers were injectables. Some boys were inside the rooms; l think they had worked overnight and were sleeping and the moment they saw us they jumped the fence and ran out.

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“One by one, we pulled out what we saw in the place and one of the items recovered was a 100 litre drum where they put chemicals to wipe off information of expired injectables. The vials are cleaned up and later they will put date marking as the wish.

“The one that baffled us are the vials that expired as far back as 2018. They will wipe them up, put another date and then rebrand in cartons, package them and take them to Ogbogwu Market, Onitsha.

Describing the act, as worse than the effect of Boko Haram attacks, NAFDAC Director South East Zone, Dr Martins A. Iluyomade cautioned the public to be wary before they take any injection.

“The problem is that you don’t even know what is inside the injectables you are taking apart from the fact that they are expired.

“We keep hearing of treatment failure; people go to the hospitals and the issue gets worse because people are taking wrong medication”, he stated.