By Desire Emmanuel
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Saturday, November 1 gave details of how some hoodlums attacked its personnel, saying five of them were injured during an enforcement operation at the Lagos Trade Fair Market.
Its Director-General, Professor. Mojisola Adeyeye, told newsmen during a news conference on Saturday in Lagos that 10 operational vehicles were also destroyed during the attack.
She stated that the attack on NAFDAC officials was carried out on October 30, adding that the officials narrowly escaped the violent attack.
According to her, the officials confiscated four trucks of fake and unwholesome products when the hoodlums, wielding various weapons, stormed the area with the intent to harm and kill the officials.
“As part of our mandate to safeguard public health, some NAFDAC officials visited the Trade Fair Complex, based on credible intelligence regarding the sale and distribution of fake, substandard and unwholesome regulatory products going on in the market.
“The operation, led by the Director of Investigation and Enforcement, commenced without any issues till some hoodlums wielding weapons came to the scene and started fomenting trouble.
“They asked for the identity of the director who was also the Chairman, Federal Task Force around the operation ground and destroyed 10 operational vehicles belonging to NAFDAC and other security agencies.
“A reliable intelligence revealed that the attack was pre-planned and also a calculated attempt to assassinate the Director (I&E) with some other NAFDAC staff,” she said.
The DG, however, clarified that the military and other security agencies were part of the federal task force and were not at the market for any combat as alleged by some individuals on social media.
