Ngozi Ezeonu calls out sellers of fake drugs, says Nigerians should not be their own enemy

• Ngozi Ezeonu has urged people selling fake drugs, baby formula and other counterfeit products to stop putting lives at risk.

• The actress called on NAFDAC, SON and FCCPC to strengthen monitoring and enforcement against fake products.

• Her comments come amid a public dispute over NAFDAC's responsibility for what reaches Nigerian markets.

Veteran Nollywood actress Ngozi Ezeonu has called out people who make money from fake drugs, baby formula and other counterfeit products, as more big names in the industry push NAFDAC to answer for what is sold in Nigerian markets.

In a video she shared on Instagram this week, Ezeonu said she no longer understands what is happening in the country. She spoke of young people she has seen deteriorating in hospitals with kidney and liver problems, and of patients who take the drugs they are prescribed and still do not get better.

She also pointed to children's products, saying fake versions of common drinks and baby formula are now in circulation.

Speaking directly to the people behind it, she said, "If you are one of the people doing fake drugs, please stop." She told Nigerians they have to make money, but not at the cost of lives. "We shouldn't be our own enemy," she said.

Ezeonu appealed to NAFDAC, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to monitor the market more closely and enforce the rules more strictly.

The video comes in the middle of a heated public argument about who is responsible. On Monday, NAFDAC Director-General Professor Mojisola Adeyeye told BusinessDay TV that many Nigerians do not read labels or understand what the agency is responsible for, saying at one point that "we are very ignorant." 

She explained that NAFDAC regulates processed and semi-processed foods, while fresh produce falls under the Ministry of Agriculture.

Actress Mary Remmy Njoku replied on Instagram the next day. She accused the agency of shifting the burden to consumers and argued that people cannot read their way out of weak inspection, testing and enforcement.

Both actresses followed an earlier alarm from Ruth Kadiri, who urged NAFDAC to intensify its crackdown on counterfeit food, drinks, medicines and cosmetics. 

READ ALSO: Proud moment for Abia as state hospital performs its first brain surgery, saves 19-year-old

Kadiri also said garlic she bought turned green after blending, which Pulse Nigeria reported earlier. For context, garlic can turn green or blue when crushed or blended, usually through a harmless reaction, so the colour alone does not prove a product is fake.

Ezeonu did not offer medical evidence in the video linking the illnesses she described to counterfeit products, and kidney and liver conditions can have several causes.