The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has uncovered a major fraudulent syndicate that has been scamming foreign companies using fake NAFDAC documents. The scheme involved the impersonation of NAFDAC officials to defraud businesses of significant amounts of money, and its discovery has sparked concerns about the growing issue of fake regulatory documents in Nigeria.
The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, revealed the details of the scam during a press conference held on Friday. The prime suspect, Mr. Ikoro Ifendu, a native of Amamba Village, Abiriba in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State, was arrested on February 7, 2025, in Aba, Abia State.
According to Prof. Adeyeye, Ifendu, who only holds an SSCE qualification and is involved in trading clothing materials, had been running a fraudulent operation that targeted foreign companies across multiple countries. One of the most prominent victims of this scam was the Thani Almaeeni Trading Group based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The fraudsters employed a sophisticated three-step scheme, which included a buyer, a bank, and a lawyer, to deceive their victims. The process began when they contacted foreign companies interested in importing goods into Nigeria. The companies were then introduced to a fake bank for payment processing. The bank would claim that NAFDAC approval was required for the goods, which would lead the companies to a fraudulent lawyer. This lawyer would collect payments in installments and issue fake NAFDAC certificates and receipts in return.
Prof. Adeyeye explained that the syndicate’s operations involved 15 domiciliary and five local accounts across seven Nigerian banks. Through these accounts, over $950,000 had flowed into the fraudsters’ pockets, with an additional $450,000 traced to offshore accounts in Cotonou, Benin Republic. As of the time of the press briefing, victims were still depositing money into these fraudulent accounts. Just before the press conference, NAFDAC received an alert of $75,000 being deposited into one of the domiciliary accounts.
The NAFDAC director-general also revealed that the scam involved a variety of forged documents, including:
– A fake Certificate of Registration for dried fish (Seafood) with a fake NAFDAC Registration No. A2-7059, issued to Thani Almaeeni Trading Group in Abu Dhabi.
– Revenue receipts for fraudulent payments totaling ₦6,687,000, ₦20,900,000, and ₦6,819,200 to different foreign companies.
– Fake processing requirement documents demanding $13,785, which were fraudulently signed in the name of a former NAFDAC Director-General who retired a year earlier.
“These fraudsters were highly sophisticated,” Prof. Adeyeye remarked. “They used forged letterheads, fake revenue receipts, and counterfeit NAFDAC certificates to make their scams appear legitimate.”
Aside from Thani Almaeeni Trading Group, a number of other international companies were victims of the scam. These included Japan Long Tie (China) Co. Ltd. in Jinan, China, which was targeted for condom importation; Aquaforest SP from Brzesko, Poland, which was defrauded for the registration of drinks and vegetable oil; Nomea Srl, an Italian company that was tricked into NAFDAC product registration; Tianyan Filter Cloth Co. Ltd. in Shanghai, China; and Siam Canadian China Ltd. in Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China.
The fact that the syndicate was able to deceive businesses across multiple countries highlights the scale and complexity of the operation. Prof. Adeyeye noted that NAFDAC was taking the matter seriously and had already taken steps to prevent such frauds in the future.
NAFDAC has not only launched an investigation into the syndicate’s activities but is also working with other government agencies to ensure that justice is served. Prof. Adeyeye confirmed that once NAFDAC’s investigation into the falsification of regulated products was concluded, the case would be handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation. She emphasized that this case went beyond NAFDAC’s mandate and required a broader investigation into the financial operations of the syndicate.
Under the Proceeds of Crime Act, NAFDAC and the EFCC will work together to trace and recover assets that were illegally acquired through these fraudulent activities. Prof. Adeyeye also disclosed that NAFDAC had already restructured its Investigation and Enforcement Task Force to enhance the agency’s ability to combat fraud. The agency has increased the number of Investigating Police Officers and Mobile Police personnel, and both the Federal and State Task Forces will be reconstituted to strengthen enforcement efforts nationwide.
Prof. Adeyeye used the press conference to warn businesses against engaging with consulting firms or individuals claiming to assist with NAFDAC product registration outside of the agency’s official platform. She advised businesses to verify product registration directly through NAFDAC’s official website at [https://registration.nafdac.gov.ng/](https://registration.nafdac.gov.ng/), urging the public to remain vigilant against such fraudulent activities.
“Do not transact with individuals or companies that claim to facilitate NAFDAC registrations outside our official platform,” she said. “We urge the public to remain cautious and report any suspicious activities.”
The NAFDAC DG assured Nigerians that the agency was committed to preventing such fraudulent activities and safeguarding the integrity of the regulatory processes in the country. She emphasized that the agency would continue to intensify its efforts to protect businesses and ensure that only legitimate products are registered and marketed in Nigeria.
NAFDAC’s efforts to combat fraud are expected to continue with increasing vigilance and enforcement actions. The agency is working closely with other regulatory bodies and financial institutions to track down the full extent of the fraudulent activities and ensure that all those involved are held accountable.
As the investigation progresses, Prof. Adeyeye promised that NAFDAC would continue to update the public on developments and urged businesses to always verify the authenticity of documents before engaging in transactions related to product registration. The outcome of this case will likely set a precedent for the enforcement of anti-fraud measures within Nigeria’s regulatory framework.
With growing concerns over the rise of fraudulent activities in the regulatory space, NAFDAC’s actions to crack down on such operations are crucial to protecting the interests of both Nigerian and foreign businesses looking to operate in the country.
The case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance in business dealings and the need for robust measures to protect against fraud in Nigeria.
