The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has arrested a man identified as Lazarus Onwukwe, described as the biggest dealer of fake and expired drugs in the South-East.
Onwukwe, who had been on the run since February, was apprehended on Thursday morning in Osisioma Ngwa, Aba, Abia State. He was caught attempting to flee in a Toyota Sienna vehicle reportedly loaded with cartons of drugs.
The arrest followed a coordinated operation involving operatives of the Nigerian Army, Police, and the Department of State Services (DSS), according to NAFDAC.
In February, NAFDAC had raided Onwukwe’s twin duplex in the same location and seized 14 truckloads of fake and expired medicines. The property was sealed, but the suspect managed to escape at the time.
Deputy Director of Investigation and Enforcement at NAFDAC, Omoyeni Babatunji, said the agency had maintained surveillance on the suspect for months.
“He thought the government had forgotten him,” Babatunji said. “He was wrong.”
Upon his arrest, Onwukwe admitted owning the buildings used as drug warehouses but denied knowingly distributing expired drugs. He also claimed to have been ill for three months and said his wife and in-law had been in touch with NAFDAC on his behalf.
He further accused a former apprentice of possibly revalidating expired products without his knowledge.
Meanwhile, his wife, Nwamaka Chidiebere, denied knowing anything about his business. She claimed she had rented out the sealed buildings to tenants, not knowing her husband’s whereabouts.
One of the tenants, Engineer Lawrence Nwankwo, said he moved into the property in June and was unaware of its past. Another tenant, Chioma Innocent, said she had no knowledge of any government seal on the property.
Samples of the seized drugs have been taken for laboratory analysis, and NAFDAC confirmed that the suspect will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.
