The agency also arrested two suspects, including a warehouse owner, over alleged involvement in the unlawful handling and sale of prohibited products.

NAFDAC's Deputy Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Emmanuel Andrew, disclosed the development during an operation conducted in Kano on Thursday, November 12.

According to Andrew, the exercise was part of the agency's efforts to enforce restrictions on paraquat-based products, which were withdrawn from circulation following concerns about their effects on human health and the environment.

He explained that NAFDAC began enforcing the prohibition in January 2024 after the expiration of the approved phase-out period.

During the operation, enforcement officers inspected more than 10 warehouses and uncovered suspected illegal activities at several locations, including Panisau and Jaba.

The agency sealed properties where investigators discovered prohibited products and materials allegedly associated with unauthorised chemical production and repackaging.

Andrew said investigators also recovered products linked to companies operating in Lagos and the Republic of Niger, alongside packaging materials and other equipment.

In another part of the operation, officers discovered large quantities of prohibited agricultural products in warehouses, leading to the arrest of two individuals.

NAFDAC also reported finding more than 8,000 cartons of another prohibited product, with an estimated value exceeding ₦360 million. Additional quantities of other restricted agricultural chemicals were recovered.

The agency said the seized products formed part of the approximately ₦560 million worth of prohibited goods uncovered during the operation.

Separately, enforcement officers confiscated 183 cartons of unregistered syrup reportedly imported from Ghana. The products were discovered in an unfinished building in the Sharada area of Kano metropolis.

Andrew said the affected properties had been sealed and that their owners would be invited for further questioning as investigations continued.

He warned members of the public against purchasing or distributing prohibited and unregistered products, stressing that NAFDAC would sustain enforcement activities to protect public health and the environment.

The agency's operation is part of its wider regulatory efforts to prevent unsafe and unauthorised products from entering the Nigerian market.

Reporting by TalkNaijaMedia