The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has dismantled a sophisticated fraud network that targeted foreign companies using counterfeit regulatory documents.
The agency’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this during a press briefing on Friday.
According to Adeyeye, the primary suspect, Mr. Ikoro Ifendu, was apprehended on February 7, 2025, in Aba, Abia State. Ifendu, a trader with only a Secondary School Certificate Examination qualification, allegedly posed as a NAFDAC official to deceive international businesses seeking to import goods into Nigeria.
Prof. Adeyeye explained that the syndicate employed a three-step scheme involving a buyer, a bank, and a legal representative to execute the fraud.
“They would approach foreign businesses looking to bring products into Nigeria and introduce them to a supposed financial institution for payment processing. The bank would then claim NAFDAC approval was required before facilitating the transaction. Afterward, the companies were referred to a fraudulent lawyer who collected payments in phases and issued fake NAFDAC certificates and receipts,” she revealed.
Investigations uncovered that the group operated 15 domiciliary and five local bank accounts across seven Nigerian banks.
Some of these accounts, according to Adeyeye, were linked to two suspected accomplices, Ikoro Mang Ifendu and Rosemary Obosi. However, tracking their full financial footprint has been challenging as certain records and alerts were deliberately erased.
NAFDAC’s findings showed that the syndicate had received over $950,000 in Nigerian accounts, while an additional $450,000 had been traced to offshore accounts in Cotonou, Benin Republic.
“Even as we speak, unsuspecting victims are still depositing funds into these fraudulent accounts. Just before this press conference, we received an alert of $75,000 in one of the domiciliary accounts,” Prof. Adeyeye stated.
The agency also revealed that Ifendu and his associates produced falsified documents, including fake NAFDAC registration certificates and fraudulent payment receipts.
“They issued a counterfeit Certificate of Registration for dried fish (Seafood) with a forged NAFDAC Registration No. A2-7059 to Thani Almaeeni Trading Group in Abu Dhabi. We also found revenue receipts reflecting fraudulent payments of ₦6,687,000, ₦20,900,000, and ₦6,819,200 to different foreign firms,” Adeyeye detailed.
Additionally, a falsified processing requirement document demanding $13,785 was discovered. It was fraudulently signed in the name of a former NAFDAC Director-General who had retired a year earlier.
“This case extends beyond NAFDAC’s jurisdiction. We will transfer it to the EFCC for deeper investigation, including tracking assets acquired through these fraudulent activities,” she announced.
To prevent future scams, NAFDAC has bolstered its Investigation and Enforcement Task Force, increasing the number of Investigating Police Officers and Mobile Police personnel. The agency is also reconstituting its Federal and State Task Forces to enhance regulatory enforcement nationwide.
“I want to assure Nigerians that NAFDAC is taking this issue seriously. We have strengthened our investigative and enforcement efforts to curb fraudsters who exploit innocent businesses,” Adeyeye affirmed.
She urged companies to avoid unofficial consultants for NAFDAC product registration and instead verify their documents directly via NAFDAC’s official registration portal.
“We urge the public to remain vigilant. Do not engage with individuals or firms claiming to facilitate NAFDAC registrations outside our official platform,” she cautioned.
