The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has exposed a fraudulent syndicate that has been deceiving foreign businesses by using fake documents and impersonating NAFDAC officials.
This revelation came after a complaint was lodged by Thani Almaeeni Trading Group, based in Abu Dhabi, UAE, which had fallen victim to the fraud scam.
According to NAFDAC’s Director General, Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, the fraudulent group was headed by Ikoro Mang Ifendu, who was arrested on February 7, 2025, in Aba, Abia State.
Ifendu is accused of posing as a NAFDAC staff member, swindling foreign companies by promising NAFDAC approval for imported goods.
The suspect, born in January 1973, was apprehended after the syndicate’s elaborate fraud scheme was uncovered.
NAFDAC further disclosed that Ifendu, a native of Amamba Village in Abia State, had been operating under the guise of a NAFDAC official to defraud businesses across multiple countries.
His arrest follows investigations into the group’s activities, which included the operation of various fraudulent bank accounts in both Nigeria and abroad.
The syndicate’s operation involved three main components: a buyer, a bank, and a lawyer. Foreign firms would first be contacted by a buyer looking to import goods into Nigeria.
Once the company agreed to the deal, they were then introduced to a bank that falsely claimed NAFDAC approval was necessary for the transaction. A lawyer would then be brought in, claiming to facilitate the NAFDAC certification for a fee, which led to the issuance of forged NAFDAC certificates and receipts.
The group managed 15 domiciliary and five local accounts across seven Nigerian banks, through which they transferred over $950,000 into Nigerian accounts and $450,000 into offshore accounts in Cotonou, Benin. Even after Ifendu’s arrest, payments from foreign businesses continued, with a recent $75,000 transfer still arriving in one of their accounts.
The fake documents used in the scam included counterfeit NAFDAC certificates, fraudulent revenue receipts, forged processing documents, and fake transaction records.
Among the victims were several international companies, including Japan Long Tie Co. Ltd. from China, BEYOND-Korea from the USA, and Aquaforest SP from Poland, among others.
The case has now been handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which will further investigate the criminal activities and trace any assets obtained from the scam.
The NAFDAC has issued a strong warning to businesses to be cautious of consulting firms that claim to handle product registrations and advised them to verify all NAFDAC-related registrations through its official portal.
