NAFDAC Accuses Very Dark Man Of Inciting Traders Against Anti-Counterfeit Laws

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has accused popular social media influencer, Very Dark Man (VDM), of collaborating with fake drug dealers to incite the public against the agency in an attempt to evade the law.

In a widely circulated video, VDM was seen protesting alongside traders at Onitsha Bridge Head Market in Anambra State. The traders alleged that NAFDAC officials were extorting large sums—between N500,000 and N700,000—to allow them reopen shops that were closed during operations against counterfeit and unsafe medicines.

However, NAFDAC, in a statement signed by its Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, clarified that the market was reopened on March 9, 2025. She noted that over 2,500 traders operating 3,500 shops had complied with regulatory procedures and resumed business in Ogbogwu Market.

According to her, the few shops yet to comply are those identified as selling banned narcotics. The agency also said that state governments intervened by giving traders a grace period to relocate to a monitored Coordinated Warehouse Centre, where their activities will be regulated and past violations addressed to serve as deterrents under existing laws.

Prof. Adeyeye described the viral video as “misleading” and accused VDM of inciting traders to defy NAFDAC’s regulatory process. She warned that such actions may breach the Cybercrime Act and alerted security agencies to the situation.

“The cartel and their co-conspirators are using incitement to distract from the real issue—to avoid accountability for their crimes against public health,” she said.

She added that NAFDAC would leave it to law enforcement agencies to determine if VDM violated any laws, especially regarding potentially inciteful content in his videos.