By Adejola Adeyemi Crown
LAGOS – The Lagos State Police Command has successfully raided and shut down a large-scale counterfeit drug manufacturing site in the Ojo area, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Mr. Olohundare Jimoh, described the operation on Alhaji Oki Road, Mosafejo, as a major breakthrough in protecting public health.
According to him, the facility was producing counterfeit pharmaceutical products, many of which were orally administered drugs that posed serious health risks to unsuspecting buyers. “Fake drugs injure and endanger the lives of thousands. The last floor of the three-storey building was where these items were being produced illegally. The machines used to alter drug expiry dates and repackage expired products were also recovered,” Jimoh said.
He added that the operation was conducted under the authority granted to police by Nigerian law and involved close collaboration with relevant agencies.
The police boss revealed that the alleged mastermind behind the operation remains at large. “We will extend our investigation to all his activities. We are not going to limit our work to this building. Our collaboration with relevant agencies will continue until every person involved is brought to justice,” he said.
Jimoh also urged the public to exercise caution when buying medicines. “Consumers must be very careful about where they buy their drugs. If you have doubts, verify before you buy,” he warned, stressing that counterfeiters often target unsuspecting buyers.
He commended officers of the command, community leaders, and members of the public whose credible intelligence led to the raid. “Once you give information to the police, we will protect you. This success came from actionable intelligence, and we want the public to have confidence in us,” he said.
