The Lagos State Police Command has uncovered two warehouses allegedly used to repackage counterfeit pharmaceutical products, leading to the arrest of two men suspected of running a distribution network that supplied fake medicines across Nigeria and beyond. The suspects, Eze Okwudilichukwu, 52, and Chukwudi Mba, 42, were taken into custody at a warehouse on No. 7A Otto Causeway, Otto, Lagos, where they were reportedly repackaging suspected adulterated drugs for distribution to different parts of the country.
Police Raid Yields Cartons of Fake Drugs
Commissioner of Police Tijani Olawale Fatai, speaking at a press briefing at the Command's Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) in Ijora Olopa, said the operation followed credible intelligence on the syndicate's activities. During the raid, officers recovered about 300 cartons of suspected adulterated Omeprazole, six bags of unpackaged tablets believed to include Viagra, Ampiclox, Septrin, Piriton, and other pharmaceuticals, plus an additional 10 cartons of suspected fake medicines. More than 300 empty branded packs and cartons were also seized, which investigators believe were used to repackage the products before they hit the market.
Fatai told journalists: "The suspects were arrested at their warehouse... where they were found repackaging suspected adulterated pharmaceutical products for distribution to different parts of Nigeria." He added that questioning led detectives to a second warehouse, where a truck with registration number KFR 241 XA (Katsina State) was found loaded with suspected counterfeit medicines.
Transnational Network Suspected
Preliminary investigations suggest the suspects had operated the repackaging business for more than two years. Evidence indicates the products were distributed across Nigeria, with larger consignments allegedly destined for Lomé, Togo, pointing to a possible transnational distribution network. Investigators also believe the medicines may have been manufactured somewhere within Lagos State, though the production facility has not yet been located.
"The investigation also suggests that the suspected adulterated drugs are being manufactured somewhere within Lagos State," Fatai said. "While the production facility has not yet been located, detectives have intensified efforts to identify and dismantle the factory, arrest all those connected with the operation, and bring them to justice."
Attempts to Compromise Investigation Resisted
The police commissioner disclosed that officers handling the case faced attempts to compromise the investigation after the arrests. Unnamed individuals allegedly tried through different channels to induce officers attached to the VCRU to release both the suspects and the recovered exhibits. Fatai stated: "I wish to categorically state that these attempts were firmly resisted," adding that the command remained committed to professionalism and that "no amount of pressure or inducement will derail the course of justice."
Case Handed to NAFDAC
Fatai confirmed that the suspects, recovered exhibits, and case file have been handed over to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for further investigation and possible prosecution, as the matter falls within the agency's regulatory mandate. As of the time of filing this report, NAFDAC had not publicly issued a separate statement on the handover or announced additional charges.
Counterfeit medicines remain one of Nigeria's biggest public health challenges, as patients often cannot distinguish genuine products from fakes until treatment fails or serious complications occur. Police say investigations are ongoing to identify the alleged manufacturing site, trace the wider network, and arrest other suspects connected to the operation.
