NAFDAC To Prosecute Drug Hawkers Nationwide

By Adewunmi Adenekan

Owing to the danger it poses, the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has disclosed plans to prosecute drug hawkers nationwide.

The Director-General of the agency, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this at the launch of the NAFDAC Media Sensitisation Workshop on Dangers of Drug Hawking in Abuja on Tuesday.

Adeyeye reiterated the agency’s readiness to increase surveillance on those using artificial methods in ripening of fruits, and to further prosecute them if caught.

“This workshop is also a fulfillment of my promise to collaborate with the media to continue to raise awareness about bleaching creams.

“NAFDAC will constantly engage the media on regulatory activities.

“The menace of drug hawking poses a serious challenge to the nation; drug hawkers are merchants of death who go around with drugs full of poison, prescribing to gullible patients.

“Drug hawkers are major distributors of narcotics. They constitute a serious threat to national security.

"Any drug hawker arrested will be prosecuted, we want to put an end to the menace.”

She, however, solicited the cooperation of law enforcement agencies to help in the surveillance to rid the country of dangerous practices.

“Several national dailies and organizations have raised concern about these dangerous practices — drug hawking and ripening of fruits with calcium carbide.