Violent Ambush At Lagos Trade Fair: NAFDAC Accuses Traders Of Plotting To Assassinate Senior Enforcement Officials

 

Tension gripped the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex on last week when a NAFDAC enforcement team was ambushed during a major operation against counterfeit and substandard goods. What should have been a standard regulatory exercise turned into a violent siege that the agency now describes as a planned attempt to assassinate its senior officials.

According to NAFDAC, the team led by Dr. Martins Iluyomade, Director of Investigation and Enforcement, was acting on verified intelligence indicating the circulation of fake and unwholesome products in the market. The operation, part of a broader national effort to curb the growing trade in counterfeit drugs and consumables, quickly descended into chaos when suspected hoodlums attacked the officials.

Witnesses and agency sources confirmed that the attackers, numbering several dozens, stormed the complex armed with stones and other dangerous objects. They reportedly locked all exit gates, trapping the officials, and began hurling projectiles at them. Vehicles belonging to NAFDAC and its partner security agencies were destroyed in the assault, with damages estimated at over ₦25 million.

Dr. Iluyomade, who also chairs the Federal Task Force on Counterfeit and Fake Drugs, said the incident was neither spontaneous nor accidental. He alleged that it was carefully orchestrated by individuals within the market who wanted to prevent the seizure of their counterfeit goods.

“From credible intelligence, this was prearranged. The Chief Security Officer of the market, who was accompanying our team, issued an internal directive on their communication platform instructing cluster leaders to take immediate action. That message was the signal for the attack to begin,” Iluyomade revealed during a press briefing in Lagos.

Before the violence erupted, the enforcement team had already confiscated several cartons of counterfeit, expired, and unregistered products. According to Iluyomade, this interception seemed to have triggered the traders’ coordinated resistance. “They locked the gates and started throwing stones. We had to maneuver through three separate locked gates while under heavy attack. If not for the calmness and professionalism of the police and military officers with us, lives could have been lost,” he explained.

The agency condemned the attack in strong terms and described it as an assault on Nigeria’s national health security. Iluyomade said the perpetrators would be identified and prosecuted, stressing that such acts of violence would never deter NAFDAC from carrying out its lawful duties.

He recalled that this was not the first time NAFDAC officers had been targeted by violent traders. In 2022, a similar incident occurred at the same market where an officer narrowly escaped being lynched during a raid on counterfeit pharmaceuticals. “No individual or association can place themselves above the law. We will not allow lawlessness to thrive in any commercial hub in Nigeria,” he emphasized.

Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director General of NAFDAC, also condemned the attack, calling it a direct challenge to the government’s commitment to public health protection. She commended the Nigeria Police Force and the military for their quick intervention, which ensured that all officials escaped without fatal injuries.

“NAFDAC will never be intimidated or deterred. Safeguarding the health of Nigerians remains our top priority. This attack only strengthens our resolve to intensify the fight against counterfeiters who put millions of lives at risk,” Adeyeye declared.

To curb the growing influx of fake products, Adeyeye revealed that the agency had strengthened collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service. A recent Memorandum of Understanding between both institutions now facilitates stricter inspection and monitoring of imports at ports and airports.

She disclosed that over 80 containers of counterfeit and substandard goods had already been intercepted and destroyed as part of the ongoing enforcement campaign. “Some importers have resorted to disguising pharmaceuticals as spare parts to evade detection. But with enhanced intelligence sharing and surveillance, such tactics will no longer succeed,” she said.

The NAFDAC boss admitted that corruption at points of entry remains a challenge but assured Nigerians that the agency is determined to dismantle the criminal syndicates behind the importation and sale of fake drugs. “Every operation we conduct weakens their economic power. We will keep pressing until the trade in counterfeit products is completely eradicated,” she said confidently.

The violent episode at the Trade Fair Complex has renewed public concern over the safety of NAFDAC officials who often face resistance during field operations. It has also exposed the deep-rooted network of counterfeit merchants thriving within Nigeria’s open markets, many of whom operate under the guise of legitimate trade.

As investigations continue, NAFDAC’s leadership has reiterated its commitment to pursue justice and restore public confidence in regulatory enforcement. The agency insists that no amount of intimidation or violence will halt its mission to safeguard the lives of Nigerians from the deadly consequences of fake and substandard products.