
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned popular social media influencer, Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, over what it described as inciting and misleading comments.
It was learnt that development is related to the agency’s recent enforcement operations in major open drug markets, including Bridge Head Market in Onitsha, Anambra State.
In a statement released on Monday, NAFDAC’s Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, cautioned the activist for allegedly spreading misinformation capable of provoking public disobedience against lawful regulatory measures.
The agency expressed concern over a viral video in which the influencer accused NAFDAC operatives of demanding N700,000 from affected traders as a precondition for reopening their shops.
Prof. Adeyeye stated that the agency has alerted law enforcement agencies to investigate whether the activist’s actions contravene the Cybercrime Act, given the potential of such statements to incite unrest.
“In the meantime, what this perpetrator has done is that he has openly told his audience to defy the regulatory processes of NAFDAC following the enforcement operation carried out under the Office of the National Security Adviser,” the DG said.
NAFDAC, in recent months, has intensified its efforts to rid Nigeria of substandard, expired, and banned medicines. Between February 9 and March 27, 2025, the agency carried out coordinated raids in major open drug markets including Idumota (Lagos), Ariaria (Aba), and Bridge Head (Onitsha), removing counterfeit drugs and unregistered products valued at over a trillion naira.
Prof. Adeyeye reaffirmed that the recent operations were part of the agency’s routine surveillance to enforce compliance with the laws regulating the storage and sale of medicines in Nigeria.
“All the warehouses, shops, and parking stores in the three Open Drug Markets did not meet the minimum requirements… More importantly, there was no proof of registration… a clear contravention/violation of the pertinent extant law of the federation,” she stated.
NAFDAC condemned what it termed as a deliberate attempt by some traders and their allies to resist regulatory control through online influence and misinformation. The DG accused such individuals of attempting to distract the public from the real issues and avoid accountability for distributing dangerous drugs.
“It is pertinent to note that the remaining few shops whose owners have refused to come forward for identification are the ones with outrightly banned narcotics according to our database. The cartel, along with their co-conspirators, are the ones creating incitements to divert attention from the real issues to escape the long arm of the law for the heinous crimes being committed against humanity,” she said.
Prof. Adeyeye urged Nigerians to support NAFDAC’s mission and not fall for inciting rhetoric that could compromise public health and safety.Nigerian fashion
“All law-abiding citizens are enjoined to go about their legitimate businesses while the merchants of death who are responsible for fuelling insecurity and peddling fake medicines in Nigeria will be fished out and dealt with by the law,” she declared.
She also highlighted that the Bridge Head Market, which was temporarily closed as part of the cleanup operation, was reopened on March 9, 2025, after a successful regulatory screening. Over 2,500 traders with 3,500 shops have returned under strict compliance with guidelines set by the agency.
According to her, affected traders were given a moratorium to relocate to a Coordinated Wholesale Centre (CWC), where their activities could be monitored in accordance with national regulations.
“NAFDAC will continue to ensure that all medical products – medicines, vaccines, medical devices and others being used in Nigeria are of good quality, safe, and efficacious,” she affirmed.
“We will continue to provide assurances that these commodities are well monitored to avoid the deaths of pregnant women, and children, and to improve the quality of life and life expectancy of the citizenry while reducing the incidence of untimely deaths of adults living with chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes,” she added.
Reiterating the agency’s commitment, Prof. Adeyeye assured that NAFDAC will not be deterred by online misinformation or intimidation, and will continue to partner with security agencies to identify and prosecute those involved in the sale of counterfeit and dangerous medical products.
The agency also emphasised its reliance on the provisions of the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods Act, which prohibits the sale of medicines in open markets, kiosks, and motor parks, to safeguard public health.
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