The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has issued a stern warning to social media influencer Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), over comments made in a viral video that the agency describes as inciting traders to defy regulatory protocols.
In a statement released on Monday, NAFDAC’s Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, criticised VDM’s portrayal of the agency’s enforcement operations at Onitsha’s Bridge Head Market. She stated that the influencer’s remarks misrepresented NAFDAC’s activities and could potentially breach Nigeria’s Cybercrime Act.
“What this perpetrator has done is that he has openly told his audience to defy the regulatory processes of NAFDAC following the enforcement operation carried out under the Office of the National Security Adviser,” the statement read.
NAFDAC recently conducted raids on open drug markets in Idumota, Aba, and Onitsha, uncovering banned, expired, and falsified narcotic drugs worth over a trillion naira. The agency reported that the warehouses and shops in these markets failed to meet the minimum requirements of Good Storage and Distribution Practices.
“The remaining few shops whose owners have refused to come forward for identification are the ones with outrightly banned narcotics according to our database. The cartel, along with their co-conspirators, are the ones creating incitements,” Adeyeye noted.
VDM had previously accused NAFDAC and Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo of extortion, alleging that officials demanded ₦700,000 from shop owners to reopen their businesses after the raids. He described the actions as “pure extortion and abuse of power.”
NAFDAC has stated that it will allow security operatives to determine if the influencer has violated any laws but warned that actions capable of inciting traders or undermining regulatory authority would not be tolerated.
The agency reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding public health by ensuring that all medicines and regulated products in circulation are safe, effective, and of good quality.
“NAFDAC will continue to safeguard the health of the nation. Our duty is to reduce the incidence of untimely deaths caused by fake or substandard medicines,” Adeyeye emphasised.
- Things Fall Apart at 67: Coal City Celebrates Achebe’s Legacy With Literary Festival - June 20, 2025
- LPPC Shortlists 72 Lawyers for SAN Rank - June 20, 2025
- Nnamdi Kanu’s Trial: FG Ends Its Case Against IPOB Leader - June 20, 2025