The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has accused popular social media influencer, Very Dark Man (VDM), of inciting traders at the Onitsha Bridge Head Market to defy federal drug regulations.
In a statement released on Monday, NAFDAC’s Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, alleged that the influencer shared videos encouraging non-compliance with the agency’s directives, warning that such actions could violate the Cybercrime Act.
She urged security agencies to investigate the matter, calling for increased public vigilance.
This follows NAFDAC’s recent raids on major open drug markets in Idumota, Aba, and Onitsha between February and March 2025. The agency seized and destroyed banned, expired, and substandard drugs worth over ₦1 trillion, citing serious breaches in drug storage and distribution standards.
“These markets lacked basic registration and compliance with Good Storage and Distribution Practices, posing a grave risk to public health,” Adeyeye stated.
The Onitsha market, which reopened on March 9, now accommodates over 2,500 traders who have complied with NAFDAC’s regulations. However, some traders allegedly linked to banned substances have resisted the agency’s mandate and are reportedly collaborating with influencers to incite disobedience.
“The remaining non-compliant shops are associated with outrightly banned substances,” the statement read. “Those behind this incitement are attempting to divert attention from their illegal activities to evade accountability.”
NAFDAC emphasized that the traders were directed to relocate to Coordinated Warehouse Centres (CWCs), set up to improve drug monitoring and safety.
“The merchants of death fueling insecurity and peddling fake medicines will face the full wrath of the law,” Adeyeye warned, reaffirming the agency’s commitment to ensuring all medicines and medical products in Nigeria meet strict safety and quality standards.
She called on Nigerians to support NAFDAC’s fight against counterfeit drugs and promised continued efforts to protect public health.
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