NAFDAC confiscates counterfeit cosmetics including Listerine and Nivea at Igbudu Market in Warri. Official operation details, public caution and refutation of attack claims

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) conducted an enforcement operation at Igbudu Market in Warri, Delta State, on Friday, 6 November 2026, after intelligence indicated a proliferation of counterfeit regulated products.

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Officers from the agency’s Asaba Zonal Office led the exercise, supported by the Department of State Services, the Nigerian Army and the market union.

Teams visited identified shops and locations, where suspected counterfeit items were discovered and evacuated.

Confiscated goods included cosmetics bearing the Listerine and Nivea brand names.

NAFDAC has also cautioned the public against purchasing KY Jelly lubricant currently circulating in the market.

According to the product’s Marketing Authorisation Holders, the last authorised supply occurred more than five years ago, so any such product found on sale should be treated as suspect.

The agency has refuted social media claims that its officers were attacked or chased from the market.

In its official account, NAFDAC stated that the operation was completed successfully, with personnel accessing all targeted locations and removing the offending products.

Some media reports had alleged that youths disrupted the exercise with weapons, but the agency maintains that officers finished their work without hindrance.

Cosmetics consistently rank among the most frequently seized counterfeit categories in Nigeria.

NAFDAC Director-General Professor Mojisola Adeyeye has previously noted that cosmetics, food and beverages together account for more than half of all counterfeit goods intercepted by the agency.

Such products can contain harmful ingredients or fail basic safety standards, posing risks to skin health and general consumer safety.

The Warri operation forms part of broader nationwide efforts to curb the trade in falsified goods.

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Consumers are advised to buy regulated products only from authorised outlets, check for valid NAFDAC registration details and report suspicious items through the agency’s official channels. Further investigations into the supply chains of the seized products are expected to continue.