The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has uncovered a sophisticated syndicate defrauding foreign companies through the use of counterfeit NAFDAC documents.
Announcing the development at a press briefing on Friday, the agency’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, revealed that the prime suspect, Ikoro Ifendu, was apprehended on February 7, 2025, in Aba, Abia State.
Ifendu, a clothing trader with only an SSCE qualification, had allegedly been impersonating NAFDAC officials to extort substantial sums from unsuspecting international firms seeking to do business in Nigeria.
According to Prof. Adeyeye, the fraudulent operation involved a three-stage deception process comprising a fake buyer, a fraudulent bank, and a fictitious legal representative.
“The syndicate would pose as business intermediaries, luring foreign firms into trade deals requiring supposed NAFDAC approvals,” she explained.
Once a firm expressed interest, they were introduced to a sham bank, which insisted on regulatory clearance from NAFDAC.
The syndicate would then refer the victims to a fraudulent lawyer, who would demand hefty payments in exchange for counterfeit certificates and receipts.
Investigations revealed that the network operated 15 domiciliary and five local bank accounts across seven Nigerian banks, with transactions amounting to over $950,000 locally and $450,000 traced to offshore accounts in Cotonou, Benin Republic.
Even as the investigation unfolded, Prof. Adeyeye disclosed that a fresh deposit of $75,000 was received into one of the fraudulent accounts.
The scam reportedly issued multiple forged documents, including:
A fake NAFDAC registration certificate for dried seafood, bearing a fraudulent registration number.
Counterfeit revenue receipts for payments totaling millions of naira from different foreign firms.
Fraudulent processing documents demanding payments of up to $13,785, signed in the name of a retired former NAFDAC Director-General.
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Some of the affected international companies include:
Thani Almaeeni Trading Group (UAE) – defrauded under the guise of seafood import approvals.
Japan Long Tie (China) Co. Ltd. – targeted in a scam related to condom importation.
Aquaforest SP (Poland) – tricked while seeking approvals for drinks and vegetable oil imports.
Nomea Srl (Italy), Tianyan Filter Cloth Co. Ltd. (China), and Siam Canadian China Ltd. – victims of fraudulent product registration schemes.
With the scale of the scam exceeding NAFDAC’s jurisdiction, Prof. Adeyeye confirmed that the case would be handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
“This case is beyond NAFDAC’s mandate,” she stated. “The EFCC will track assets illegally acquired through this operation and ensure justice is served.”
To prevent future occurrences, she announced a major overhaul of NAFDAC’s Investigation and Enforcement Task Force, with increased deployment of police personnel to crack down on fraudulent activities.
Prof. Adeyeye urged businesses to avoid dealing with unauthorized consultants claiming to facilitate NAFDAC approvals, advising them to verify registrations directly via NAFDAC’s official website.
“We urge the public to remain vigilant,” she emphasized. “Do not engage with unverified individuals or firms claiming to offer NAFDAC registration services.”
With ongoing investigations, authorities are expected to make further arrests as they continue their crackdown on fraudulent networks preying on the global business community.