By George Ozalla
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has arrested Lazarus Chidiebere Onwunkwe, a suspected drug baron, in Aba, Abia State. Onwunkwe is believed to be the largest dealer in expired drugs in the South-East region.
According to NAFDAC, Onwunkwe was apprehended after a five-month surveillance operation. A joint team of NAFDAC, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police, and Department of State Services (DSS) stormed Onwunkwe’s residence in Umuocheala, Aba, and discovered a massive cache of expired and fake drugs.
During the raid in February 2025, NAFDAC evacuated 14 trucks of expired drugs, each with a 10-ton capacity, from Onwunkwe’s twin two-storey duplex and other bungalows. The agency claimed that Onwunkwe’s boys were using his houses to revalidate expired drugs, rebrand them, and push them back into the market.
Onwunkwe denied knowledge of the expired drugs, claiming he was not involved in the business and had been sick for over three months. However, NAFDAC’s Deputy Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Pharmacist Omoyeni Babatunji, stated that the agency’s surveillance team tracked Onwunkwe down and apprehended him while trying to leave the house with a Siena vehicle loaded with drugs.
NAFDAC will conduct laboratory tests on the seized drugs to determine their authenticity and safety. Onwunkwe’s wife, Nwamaka Chidiebere, claimed she was not aware of her husband’s business activities and had rented out some of the buildings to tenants.
