The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has destroyed fake, adulterated, expired and banned products valued at more than N8bn seized across North-Central Nigeria.

The agency said most of the confiscated items were banned alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and small containers of less than 200ml.

Speaking at the destruction exercise in Lafia, Nasarawa State, on Thursday, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, said the products were seized from manufacturing facilities, shops, markets and motor parks across the zone.

Adeyeye, represented by a Deputy Director of NAFDAC in the zone, Joseph Edor, said the ban on alcoholic beverages in sachets and glass bottles below 200ml was aimed at curbing their abuse, particularly among young people and schoolchildren.

According to her, the products’ affordability, availability and portability made them easily accessible for misuse.

She said, “Research has shown that early exposure to alcohol affects the brain and other vital organs such as the liver and kidneys.

“It stymies the brain, resulting in mental retardation, brain damage, poor performance of pupils in school, low productivity and several types of illnesses.”

Adeyeye said the ban and subsequent enforcement operations were prompted by concerns over alcohol abuse, addiction and its adverse health effects.

She added that other seized items included expired, counterfeit and unwholesome food products, medicines and cosmetics.

“It is in the course of carrying out these activities that this heap of unwholesome, banned, fake and adulterated products worth about eight billion naira was confiscated from manufacturing outfits, sales outlets, markets and motor parks.

“The bulk of the products in that pile are predominantly banned alcoholic beverages in low volumes of less than 200ml (20cl),” she emphasised.

The NAFDAC boss commended other law enforcement agencies and stakeholders for supporting the agency’s operations through intelligence sharing and security assistance.

Also speaking, the Nasarawa State Coordinator of NAFDAC, Dr Gyani Stephen, said the destruction was intended to protect public health rather than hurt businesses or individuals.

He warned traders involved in the sale of counterfeit and banned products to desist, saying the agency would take action against those who violated the law.

In a goodwill message, the Nasarawa State Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Daniel Saidu, represented by Yakubu Awoh, commended NAFDAC for its efforts to remove expired and fake medicines from circulation.

He warned that allowing such dangerous products into the market could endanger millions of people and harm their mental health.