The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has issued an official regulatory statement warning that online calls to incite traders against its drug market enforcement operations may constitute offences under Nigerian law.
The statement, issued via NAFDAC’s verified social media channel, references the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act as the applicable legal framework governing certain forms of online conduct. According to the agency, digital communications that seek to mobilise resistance or disruption of lawful regulatory activities may fall within offences contemplated by the Act, depending on the facts and circumstances.
NAFDAC’s clarification was issued in the context of its ongoing enforcement operations in major open drug markets across Nigeria. The agency confirmed that these operations involved inspections and regulatory actions against outlets and warehouses found to be in breach of existing drug, storage, distribution, and registration requirements under applicable laws and regulations.
The agency further stated that the warning does not amount to the announcement of arrests, charges, or prosecutions. No individual, group, or platform was named in the statement, and no enforcement action under the Cybercrime Act was formally announced at the time of the communication.
NAFDAC indicated that its enforcement activities remain governed by existing statutory mandates and that any criminal liability relating to online conduct would arise only in accordance with due process and applicable law.
What Next:
– No prosecution or enforcement action under the Cybercrime Act has been formally announced.
– Any investigation or charge relating to online conduct would require action by competent law enforcement authorities under existing law.
– Regulatory enforcement operations by NAFDAC remain ongoing under current statutory powers.
