The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has uncovered an illegal herbal products factory operating inside a residential building in Agege, Lagos, where unregistered products were allegedly manufactured under unhygienic conditions.
The agency said one of the products discovered at the facility carried a falsified registration number belonging to a registered cough syrup, raising concerns about potential risks to consumers.
NAFDAC disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, October 22, 2026, following intelligence received on October 16 about the production of Aishetu Adams Bitters using an allegedly fake registration number.
According to the agency, its officers conducted surveillance and gathered intelligence before locating the facility, which was concealed within a residential building.
“What we found was shocking. The facility was in a very poor and unhygienic condition,” NAFDAC said.
During the operation, officials identified three products: Ashietu Adams Herbal Mixture for Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), Ashietu Adams Blood Purifier and another product claiming to treat high blood pressure.
The agency said its enforcement team evacuated the products during an initial visit and sealed the facility pending further investigation.
The facility manager, identified as Abulaziz Sayidu, was arrested for interrogation, while the alleged owner, Ashietu Adams, had reportedly absconded.
NAFDAC further disclosed that the products’ packaging suggested they originated from Ghana but contained neither the manufacturer’s name nor a verifiable address establishing where they were produced.
The absence of essential product information, including batch numbers and the manufacturer’s address, raised additional concerns about traceability and accountability.
The agency’s Deputy Director of Public Relations, Christiana Obiazikwor, who was present during the enforcement operation, urged Nigerians to exercise caution when purchasing herbal medicines and other regulated products.
She warned consumers against assuming that products were genuine simply because they displayed NAFDAC registration numbers, advising them to verify such numbers through the agency’s online platforms and Greenbook before making purchases.
“These products do not have batch numbers or the manufacturer’s address. These are important details that help establish the identity and traceability of a product,” Obiazikwor said.
She called for greater public participation in the fight against counterfeit and unregistered products, urging Nigerians to report locations suspected of being used for illegal manufacturing.
“We cannot fight this battle alone. Every Nigerian has a role to play by identifying and reporting places where illegal manufacturing activities are taking place,” she said.
Obiazikwor also warned property owners against allowing their buildings to be used for unlawful manufacturing activities, stressing the importance of cooperation in protecting public health.
She said NAFDAC was intensifying public education through radio programmes, multilingual jingles and community sensitisation campaigns, particularly in rural and grassroots communities where internet access might be limited.
One of the initiatives, NAFDAC and Your Health, is designed to educate the public about the dangers associated with fake and unregistered products.
The agency urged consumers to remain vigilant when purchasing herbal remedies, particularly those advertised as treatments for serious medical conditions, and to report suspicious products or manufacturing facilities to the appropriate authorities.
NAFDAC said the Agege facility had been sealed as investigations continued into the alleged illegal production and use of a falsified registration number.
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