A joint team of officials from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control and the Borno State Ministry of Health has uncovered several neglected warehouses storing drugs damaged by recent floods in Borno State.
The drugs which were worth millions of naira were found in an isolated and unsafe locations in Gamboru area of Maiduguri.
Speaking during the raid of the warehouse, NAFDAC’s Director for the North-East, Kenneth Azikiwe, stated that the activity followed the directive by NAFDAC’s Director General, Prof. Christiana Mojisola Adeyeye, to prevent a public health emergency resulting from the sale of flood-damaged medicines.
He added that such drugs were no longer safe for consumption due to their compromised quality. “We are on an evacuation mission to seize and destroy drugs damaged by the flood in the Gamboru market. These drugs are unsafe for consumption and could pose serious public health risks,” he said.
Azikiwe also called on the public to report anyone attempting to sun-dry or sell the affected medicines. Also speaking, the Borno State Commissioner of Health, Baba Malam Gana who lead the team, stated that the state government would work to ensure that unsafe practices do not occur again in the Gamboru medicine market.
“Medicines must be stored properly, and we are committed to ensuring that the Gamboru market will not be the same again. We will take immediate action to ensure compliance with safety standards,” he said.
He also assured that the Borno State government, with support from the Federal Government, would provide assistance to business owners affected by the seizure of their flood-damaged drugs.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assured the people of Borno that they will not be left to suffer. Those who lost their businesses, including those in this market, will receive assistance from both the federal and state governments,” he said.
The Chairman of the Gamboru Medicine Market, Bukar Modu, expressed the willingness of the market’s leadership to cooperate with the government, assuring that the health of the people remains their top priority.
He also called for financial support for the traders to mitigate the impact of the losses.
