NAFDAC Closes Two Chinese Supermarkets and Shops in Abuja

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has sealed two Chinese-owned supermarkets in Jabi District and eight cosmetics shops in Wuse Market, Abuja, over violations of laws guiding the sale, distribution, and labelling of regulated products in Nigeria.

This was disclosed in a press statement issued on Friday by the agency’s Deputy Director of Public Relations and Protocol, Adegboyega Osiyemi.

According to the statement, enforcement officers, acting on the directive of NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, confiscated and evacuated unregistered and unsafe products valued at over N170 million.

The operation was carried out by the Investigation and Enforcement Directorate in collaboration with the Federal Task Force on Counterfeit and Substandard Medicines and Unwholesome Processed Foods, led by Assistant Chief Regulatory Officer Musa Embugushiki. Surveillance revealed that the supermarkets, located on Mike Akhigbe Way and Ebitu Ukiwe Street in Jabi, were selling unregistered food items labelled solely in Chinese, violating NAFDAC’s requirement for English translations.

Despite initial denial from the operator at Ebitu Ukiwe Street, the team confirmed that the outlet was fully operational and selling unregistered products. In a related action, eight cosmetics shops in Wuse Market were sealed for distributing banned, expired, and unregistered cosmetics, aphrodisiacs, and aesthetic medicines.

Investigations showed that some individuals posed as dermatologists and pharmacists, selling harmful products for skin whitening, body enhancement, and sexual performance. Items seized included Wenicks Capsules, Maxman Capsules, Boobs Enlargement and Curvy Weight Gain products, Collagen, Glutathione Whitening Gummies, White Doll, Dr. Gallery Plus, Dynewell Syrup, and various herbal mixtures.

Prof. Adeyeye reiterated NAFDAC’s commitment to protecting Nigerians from dangerous substances linked to severe health risks such as skin cancer, kidney damage, and memory loss. She urged consumers to buy only NAFDAC-approved products and advised foreign investors to comply with registration guidelines before marketing products in Nigeria.