The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has warned business owners to desist from the use of unapproved business registration number.

In a Tuesday interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja Adeyeye gave this warning, noting that the attention of the agency had been drawn to illegal practices by some business owners who operate multiple businesses with a particular approved registration number in the name of the agency.

The director-general said such unlawful dealings are not in the best interests of the country’s economic growth and development, adding that it is an unhealthy interference in the nation’s revenue generation. She warned the perpetrators of such act to desist or face the full wrath of the law.

Adeyeye said, “registration numbers are allowed on registered approved businesses only. We now have the information on those using fake NAFDAC registration numbers, claimed to be approved by the agency; we are out to catch the perpetrators and they would be used to set examples to unpatriotic citizens because NAFDAC is watching.”

Pledging to fight dirty with importers of sub-standard drugs and other consumables who are bent on producing such goods illegally, Adeyeye called on media outfits to support the agency in bringing such perpetrators to book, as she noted that collaboration would assist the agency in that direction.

According to her, there are many pending court cases of Nigerians who are adamant to change and who have refused to do the right thing at the moment. “We have culprits; some unscrupulous importers at Alagbon custodian in Lagos; they are there until they can take bail. some have been jailed for five years, I think that is the best punishment we have gotten without an option of fine”.

While cautioning Nigerians against weight loss capsules she advised Nigerians to be vigilant in safeguarding their health, and urged them to always check the date of manufacture, and date of expiration before buying any product.

Adeyeye stated that the Agency is doing everything it can to make sure that it combats substandard medicines and put a stop to the activities of medicine hawkers. She also noted that the agency needed more staff, especially on post-marketing surveillance.