National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has accused a prominent social media influencer, the Very Dark Man of colluding with fake drug merchants to incite the public against the agency in a bid to circumvent the law.
In the video, the popular social media influencer was shown in the midst of protesting traders in the Onitsha Bridge Head Market in Anambra State, alleging that officials of NAFDAC were extorting money from them before reopening their shops closed in wake of the operation against fake and unwholesome medicine.
The traders said they being forced to pay monies ranging from N500,000 to N700,000 in order to reopen their businesses.
However, in a statement signed by the Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the agency said “the market has been reopened on the 9th of March 2025 and that over 2500 traders with 3500 shops who have come forward for necessary regulatory procedure have resumed their normal activity in Ogbogwu market”.
She said the remaining few shops whose owners have refused to come forward for identification are the ones with outrightly banned narcotics according to our database.
She explained that due to the intervention of the respective state governments, the traders were given a moratorium to relocate to a conducive Coordinated Warehouse Centre where their activities will be well monitored and controlled while being held accountable for previous infractions to serve as a deterrence in accordance with gazetted regulations.
“The attention of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has been drawn to a misleading information as contained in videos that are trending on the social media of the incitement of traders of Onitsha Bridge Head Market by one social media influencer.
“The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) therefore, wishes to alert the public and security agencies on the incitement, which may constitute a breach of the Cybercrime Act”, she said
Regarding the video by VDM, the DG accused the social media influencer of openly inciting his audience to defy the regulatory processes of NAFDAC following the enforcement operation carried out under the Office of the National Security Adviser.
“The cartel, along with their co-conspirators, are the ones creating incitements to divert attention from the real issues to escape the long arm of the law for the heinous crimes being committed against humanity.
“The Agency will allow the law enforcement agencies determine whether he is in violation of any laws, particularly with regards to the making of videos that may be considered inciteful,” she said.
Onyebuchi Ezigbo
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