The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has dismantled a fraudulent syndicate that has been scamming foreign companies using counterfeit NAFDAC documents.
At a press conference on Friday, NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, revealed that the prime suspect, Mr. Ikoro Ifendu, was arrested on February 7, 2025, in Aba, Abia State. Ifendu, a clothing trader with only an SSCE qualification, had been impersonating NAFDAC officials to defraud businesses across multiple countries, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), China, Italy, and Poland.
The fraudsters used a complex scheme involving a buyer, a bank, and a fake lawyer. Foreign companies attempting to import goods into Nigeria were tricked into making payments for fraudulent NAFDAC approvals. Victims were referred to a fake lawyer, who collected payments in installments, issuing counterfeit NAFDAC certificates and receipts.
NAFDAC’s investigation revealed that the group operated 15 domiciliary and five local accounts across seven Nigerian banks. Over $950,000 was traced to their Nigerian accounts, while $450,000 had been funneled into offshore accounts in Cotonou, Benin Republic.
“Just before this press conference, we received an alert of $75,000 deposited into one of the fraudulent accounts,” Prof. Adeyeye disclosed.
The syndicate produced forged documents, including:
- Fake NAFDAC registration certificates
- Counterfeit revenue receipts, with payments as high as ₦20.9 million
- Fraudulent processing requirements demanding $13,785, signed in the name of a former NAFDAC Director-General
Among the victims were:
- Thani Almaeeni Trading Group, Abu Dhabi, UAE – Scam involving dried seafood registration
- Japan Long Tie (China) Co. Ltd., Jinan, China – Fake approvals for condom importation
- Aquaforest SP, Poland – Fraudulent registration of drinks and vegetable oil
- Nomea Srl, Italy – Fake NAFDAC product registration
- Tianyan Filter Cloth Co. Ltd., China and Siam Canadian China Ltd.
NAFDAC has announced that it will hand over the case to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
“This case is beyond NAFDAC’s mandate. The EFCC will track illegally acquired assets linked to these fraudulent activities,” Adeyeye stated.
To prevent future scams, NAFDAC has restructured its Investigation and Enforcement Task Force and increased the number of security personnel. Prof. Adeyeye also urged businesses to avoid engaging fraudulent consultants and to verify product registration directly through NAFDAC’s official platform: https://registration.nafdac.gov.ng/.
“We urge the public to remain vigilant. Do not transact with individuals or companies claiming to facilitate NAFDAC registrations outside our official platform,” she warned.
