NAFDAC Seals Off 13 Drug Stores In Yenagoa

The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has sealed off 13 drug stores in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, for allegedly dealing on fake drugs.

The drug verification team of NAFDAC that carried out the action said that Bayelsa State is the 19th state to be covered by the NAFDAC team from the headquarters in Lagos to conduct on the spot test of certain drugs used in the area.

According to the team’s report, about three local government areas were covered by the NAFDAC team in Bayelsa State including Yenagoa, Ogbia and Kolokuma/Opokuma, during the exercise, close stand mobile testing machine were used to detect fake and dangerous drugs in circulation.

Briefing newsmen after the exercise in Yenagoa, the leader of the team and deputy director, drugs inspection directorate in NAFDAC, Mrs Comfort Makonjuola said 11 stores had already been shot down to avoid NAFDAC inspection before the recent one at Suali area of Yenagoa.

She added that two other shops were sealed off after some of their drugs failed the normal testing exercise.

Mrs Makonjuola told newsmen that the exercise was to trail merchants involved in the production of fake drugs and not to cripple the business of small store/shop owners.

The leader of the team said that the exercise to rid the country of fake drug would not be restricted to urban areas alone, but would cover all the rural communities to safeguard the health of the people.