The discovery of what the National Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, aptly called a “death warehouse” in Lagos reminds us of the fact that the war on fake foods and drugs in the country is anything but near winning. It shows that a lot of Nigerians may be dying more from counterfeit drugs consumption than actual sickness.

A sting operation on some isolated warehouses in the Trade Fair/Navy Town area of Lagos revealed a huge stockpile of fake drugs such as injectable anti-malarials, sachet drugs, blister packs, antibiotics and Analgin, a painkiller and malaria reducer which has been prohibited for 15 years due to its blood-related toxicity.

According to NAFDAC’s Director of Enforcement, Martin Iluyomade, who is also the Chairman of the Federal Task Force on Fake and Substandard Products, the Agency’s discovery is lamentable. “These were not just fake vitamins. These were (supposedly) life-saving medicines and injections used in emergency cases like cerebral malaria. When fake injections are taken in such situations, it becomes a death sentence”.

According to him, the worst thing about fake products is that they and their packaging are expertly cloned and sent abroad for production of exact but fake replicas that even experts find difficult to tell apart from the genuine ones.

We commend the agency, particularly the whistle-blowers whose patriotic tip-off led to this timely discovery. We strongly believe that this discovery is just a tip of the proverbial iceberg. There must be many more. NAFDAC and the security agencies should redouble efforts to identify and destroy them, and bring those behind them to justice.

In July 2025, the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, ACPN, raised the alarm that up to 50 per cent of the drugs consumed in Nigeria were fake. This number is up from the 15 to 20 per cent official government estimations.

We concur with Iluyomade that Nigeria is under siege by evil merchants who seek to grow wealthy by putting the lives of innocent and unsuspecting fellow human beings in danger. They are no better than the terrorists and bandits hiding in the bushes, slaughtering and abducting people for ransom. Those convicted should have their properties demolished and wealth forfeited to the health sector.

In the same manner that an all-out war should be declared on terrorists, all hands should be on deck to isolate fake product manufacturers and merchants and treat them as the worst among the rest of society. This is a task beyond just NAFDAC and the security agencies. We must all emulate the whistle-blowers who led to this strike.

We urge our medical professionals to hone their skills and be more painstaking in identifying fake medical products to save lives. We must stay ahead of the criminals.