Premium Times has uncovered a growing digital marketplace in Nigeria where vendors sell prescription-only weight-loss injections such as Mounjaro (tirzepatide) and Ozempic (semaglutide) without requiring prescriptions, downplaying or denying potential side effects, and even marketing an experimental drug still undergoing clinical trials.
Investigation Triggered by Celebrity Endorsement
The investigation began after media personality Toke Makinwa disclosed on Snapchat on 6 May that she used Mounjaro before returning to the gym after giving birth in August 2025. In her post, she said: "Consistency really produces results… I’m not one to pretend or lie. I was on Mounjaro till December; my last dose was on the 31st of December, and I hit the gym hard in January."
The post was widely republished by entertainment blogs, sparking public interest in the drug. Comment sections on platforms like Lindaikejiblog and Yabaleftonline were flooded with inquiries from users asking where to buy Mounjaro. Vendors quickly responded, openly advertising the injections in the comments, often with prices and delivery options.
The Unregulated Online Marketplace
Premium Times contacted several vendors, including bodyng_aesthetic_clinic and Abuja Massues, who advertised the injections on Instagram. One vendor claimed the injections had "no side effects, not at all, not at all, not at all, none." Another offered three pricing tiers: Basic at N100,000, Premium at N180,000, and VIP at N250,000 per shot.
These claims directly contradict manufacturer warnings. Eli Lilly, the maker of Mounjaro, lists common side effects such as nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, constipation, indigestion, and abdominal pain, as well as serious risks including pancreatitis, gallbladder problems, and kidney injury. Oladapo Ashiru, an endocrinologist and former president of the Academy of Medicine Specialities of Nigeria (AMSN), confirmed the vendors' claims are false and stressed the need for proper clinical assessment before starting such treatments.
Websites and Fake Testimonials
Further investigation revealed a network of five interconnected websites: mounjaronigeria.com, slimnaija.com, naijatrim.com, naijapeptides.com, and mounjaro.ng. These sites shared similar designs, pricing structures, and promotional language. They also displayed fabricated testimonials using stock photos from Unsplash, attributed to fictional customers like "Chioma F." and "Adaeze A." who allegedly lost 19kg and 23kg respectively.
One of the websites, naijapeptides.com, even claimed its products were "99% lab verified" and referenced FDA approval, misleadingly implying official regulatory endorsement. The sites also marketed Retatrutide, an experimental drug still in Phase III clinical trials, with a "Research Use Only" label but an "Add to Cart" option.
Legal Violations and Regulatory Gaps
Bernard Okpi, a human rights lawyer and health law advocate, explained that Nigerian law prohibits the online advertisement and sale of prescription medicines to the public. He cited Regulation 4(2) of the NAFDAC Drug and Related Products Advertisement Regulations 2021, which restricts promotional claims for prescription drugs to peer-reviewed medical journals. Selling unregistered pharmaceutical products attracts severe criminal, civil, and administrative liabilities.
NAFDAC, in response to a Freedom of Information request, declined to comment on the registration status of the specific drugs but confirmed that medicines for commercial distribution must be registered. The agency also noted that some unregistered medicines may be imported through "controlled access pathways," though it did not confirm whether these products were imported legally.
Connected Operations and Aftermath
All five websites were registered through Cloudflare with hidden registrant information. However, WhatsApp links on two sites redirected to the same US-based phone number, and payment details led to a bank account under Velorix Nigeria Ltd, a company incorporated on 7 February 2026, with Samson Olufuwa as the sole director. When Premium Times contacted Mr Olufuwa, the websites went offline within hours. His lawyer later claimed that Velorix only provided technology services to a third-party client and had suspended those services after learning of the investigation.
This investigation highlights the urgent need for coordinated regulatory action to curb the illegal online sale of unapproved medicines in Nigeria, protecting public health from potentially harmful products.
