The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has uncovered banned and counterfeit cosmetic products worth over N3 billion in a warehouse at the APT Trade Fair Complex in Lagos.Â
The agency disclosed on Sunday that the facility, hidden within an unfinished building, was allegedly being used as a distribution hub to evade regulatory scrutiny.
Among the items recovered were 728 cartons of Crusader soap, 718 cartons of E45 soap, and large quantities of Extract Gold whitening soaps brands previously banned by the federal government over safety concerns.
Officials also discovered assorted perfumes, body oils and cooking oils stored inside the warehouse.
NAFDAC said the products have been placed on hold pending further regulatory evaluation, adding that the entire consignment has been evacuated to prevent circulation in the market.
The warehouse manager has been invited for questioning as investigations continue.
The agency warned that the sale and use of banned and unregistered cosmetic products pose serious health risks, including skin damage and exposure to hazardous chemical substances.
It reiterated that offenders would be prosecuted in accordance with relevant laws, stressing that concealing the warehouse within an uncompleted building highlights the increasingly sophisticated tactics adopted by operators in the illicit trade.
NAFDAC urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious storage facilities or outlets dealing in regulated products to the nearest agency office.
The latest discovery comes amid intensified enforcement actions by the agency.
Earlier in February, NAFDAC announced the seizure of over 10 million doses of fake malaria drugs and cosmetic products worth about N3 billion from another warehouse within the Trade Fair Market axis of Lagos.
During that operation, officials uncovered injectable anti-malarial drugs, antibiotics and banned pharmaceutical products some prohibited in Nigeria for nearly 15 years stored inside a three-storey building disguised as a spare parts warehouse.
In a related development, the agency recently sealed 18 warehouses in Bida, Niger State, where expired food and beverage products valued at over N100 million were discovered.
The items included non-alcoholic beverages, dairy products, bottled water, candies and pasta stored in facilities around Ndazabo White House along Minna Road and behind Bida Modern Market.
NAFDAC has repeatedly raised concerns over the influx of harmful cosmetic products into the Nigerian market, warning that unchecked distribution could result in grave public health consequences.
