NAFDAC seals Chinese Supermarkets in Abuja over ₦170m illegal products

By Aderogba George

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has sealed two Chinese-owned supermarkets in Abuja for allegedly selling unapproved and improperly labelled products.

The enforcement, carried out on Thursday, affected outlets located at No. 40 Mike Akhigbe Way, Jabi, and No. 61 Ebitu Ukiwe Street, Jabi. Officials said the supermarkets stocked imported food items labelled only in Chinese, without English translations, in violation of NAFDAC regulations.

Mr. Embugushiki-Musa Godiya, Head of NAFDAC’s Investigation and Enforcement Unit in Abuja, told journalists that the operation was prompted by intelligence reports and consumer complaints.

“We cannot guarantee the safety and quality of these products. They were never evaluated, analysed, or approved by NAFDAC,” Godiya said, adding that warehouses containing unapproved goods were also placed under seal while owners were invited for further investigation.

In a separate raid, the agency clamped down on eight shops in Wuse Market, where traders were allegedly selling aphrodisiac pills, breast and buttock enlargement creams, sex-enhancement drugs, and other substances produced with toxic chemicals. Some of the sellers reportedly disguised as “doctors” and “pharmacists,” prescribing unsafe drugs to unsuspecting Nigerians.

The estimated market value of the seized items is put at ₦170 million.

Godiya noted that some of the seized products included so-called “kayanmata oils”, which were openly marketed in makeshift stalls, including within banking premises.

He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and ensure that all consumables carry NAFDAC approval numbers, stressing that the agency would intensify its clampdown on unsafe products across the Federal Capital Territory.