NAFDAC officials were on a mission to crack down on substandard drugs in Abuja when a group of criminals launched an assault on them at the Area 1 Motor Park on Monday.
According to Daily Post, the hoodlums targeted the enforcement officers, including mobile policemen, and damaged the agency’s vehicle by pelting it with stones, resulting in a shattered windshield.
The situation escalated until the intervention of the police, who fired shots into the air and deployed tear gas to disperse the attackers. Only after this intervention could journalists and NAFDAC officers find safety.
Mr. Umar-Ahmed Suleiman, the team leader and an Assistant Chief Regulatory Officer at NAFDAC, explained that the raid was prompted by intelligence indicating a high prevalence of substandard drugs in the park. This operation was in response to a 2023 intelligence report from the Department of State Services (DSS).
Despite encountering challenges during the operation, Suleiman emphasized that such incidents are not unusual for the investigation and enforcement unit of NAFDAC. He highlighted the standard practice of having armed mobile police officers and investigative police officers accompany the team to handle potential arrests.
He detailed the unexpected turn of events at Area 1 Motor Park, where drug hawkers initially dispersed but later regrouped to launch a forceful attack on the NAFDAC team. He credited the use of gunshots and tear gas for enabling their escape from the dangerous scene.
Despite the attack, the enforcement team managed to seize various controlled drugs, including Tramadol (500mg and 225mg), Rohypnol, Cocodamol, Dizapam, and several aphrodisiacs, along with codeine syrups. The confiscated drugs were assessed to be valued at over N5 million.
Suleiman acknowledged that Area 1 Motor Park poses challenges in tackling substandard drug sales and expressed the enforcement unit’s determination to return and complete the operation in that troublesome area.