The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has on Monday, 30th of May nabbed and detained a man known only as Obinna Igbo, a 32-year-old businessman over the importation and sale of fake Amanta Forte packs; and as of yet untested and unregistered anti-malarial drug.
The arrested Igbo was brought before a Federal High Court and charged with four counts of unlawful importation, possession, sale, and distribution of fake Amanta Forte soft gel capsules at the Head Bridge Market of Onitsha, Anambra State.
This was disclosed in a press statement issued by NAFDAC and made by Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General of the agency in Lagos on Monday. She also revealed that officials belonging to the Investigation and Enforcement Directorate of the Agency had launched three successful raids on several pharmaceutical outlets at Head Bridge Market, Onitsha. They are Triphon Point Global limited, Emma Medicals Nigeria Limited, and Ekeh Mountain Global Ventures Limited.
According to Mrs. Adeyeye, the contraband product was found in Triphon Point Global limited, and all samples were subsequently removed while the shop was placed on hold. No packs of Amanta Forte were found in the two other shops raided but an investigation of their sales books revealed that they had indeed had the product in their inventory at some point.
Consequently, the three shops were placed on hold and the three shop owners were spirited away for questioning and investigation. So far, the three have proven cooperative with NAFDAC and promised to provide all possible assistance to aid in the capture of Igbo.