The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned Nigerians about fake malaria and antibiotic drugs in circulation.

In a public alert issued on September 17, NAFDAC said counterfeit versions of Artemetrin DS and Ciprofit 500 were being sold by licensed vendors, despite not being registered in its official drug database.

According to a statement from NAFDAC, lab tests showed the fake Artemetrin DS, falsely labelled from A.C. Drugs Ltd in Enugu, contained only 59.2% artemether and 71.2% lumefantrine, well below safe levels.

Ciprofit 500, also falsified and labelled as made by Impact Pharmaceutical Ltd, contained just 5.7% of its active antibiotic ingredient, ciprofloxacin.

“These falsified products undermine treatment efficacy and could lead to preventable deaths,” a NAFDAC spokesperson warned.

NAFDAC is urging the public to stop using the drugs, return them to the nearest office, and report any side effects immediately.

The warning follows a ₦1.2 billion seizure of fake malaria drugs in Lagos on September 12, part of the agency’s ongoing crackdown.

NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the agency is intensifying surveillance with full government backing to protect public health.