The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has dismantled a criminal operation posing as a missionary health outreach in the Abuloma area of Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The syndicate was found to be distributing fake and unregistered medical products under the guise of offering free healthcare services.
Addressing journalists on Monday, the Director of NAFDAC’s South-South Zone, Mr. Chukwuma Oligbu, revealed that the agency acted on a tip-off from concerned residents who noticed suspicious activities at a community town hall in the Abuloma axis. The report prompted a swift raid by NAFDAC officials last Friday, leading to the arrest of one suspect.
The arrested individual, identified as Mrs. Gladys Theophilus, was caught administering the unapproved substances to unsuspecting residents waiting in line to receive what they believed were legitimate medical treatments. The leader of the syndicate, a man falsely claiming to be a medical doctor and missionary, is currently on the run. According to Oligbu, he claimed over the phone to be outside Rivers State when contacted.
Recovered from the scene were several unregistered products falsely marketed as cures for a wide range of illnesses including goiter, cancer, fibroids, cataracts, glaucoma, arthritis, rashes, and piles. These items included “Evangelist Jenkins’ Supernatural Water,” “Evangelist Jenkins’ Cleanser,” and “Evangelist Jenkins’ Eye Drop.” None of these so-called medications carried a NAFDAC registration number, nor any identifiable manufacturing address.
Oligbu described the syndicate as dangerous and deceptive, noting that some users of the eye drop product had reported swelling and adverse reactions. Disturbingly, the fake practitioners reportedly reassured victims that such side effects were signs that the “treatment” was working, with promises that impurities would soon be expelled from the eyes.
“All confiscated products have been moved to NAFDAC’s Zonal Office on Woji Road in GRA Phase 2, Port Harcourt. Investigations are ongoing, and the arrested suspect will be charged to court in due course,” Oligbu confirmed.
He warned the public to remain vigilant and cautious of individuals or groups posing as evangelists or healthcare missionaries while peddling unverified concoctions. He stressed that these products pose serious health risks, and that anyone patronising such providers does so at their own peril.
“NAFDAC maintains a zero-tolerance stance toward fake and counterfeit medical products. We urge the public to report any suspicious activity involving unregistered drugs or healthcare services. Our duty remains the protection of public health, and we will not relent in our efforts to safeguard the lives of Nigerians,” Oligbu stated firmly.
