A man identified as Mr. Ikoro Mang Ifendu has been arrested in Aba, Abia State, for allegedly defrauding foreign companies by impersonating a NAFDAC official.
Gatekeepers News reports that Prof Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye FAS,
Director General of NAFDAC announced the suspect’s arrest in a statement on Friday, March 14, 2025.
Ifendu, 52, is accused of using counterfeit NAFDAC documents to scam companies across multiple countries, including the Thani Almaeeni Trading Group of Abu Dhabi, resulting in losses amounting to thousands of dollars and millions of naira.
According to the agency; Ifendu and his accomplices operated a sophisticated three-pronged scheme involving buyers, banks, and lawyers. The fraud began when foreign buyers were contacted to purchase goods for importation into Nigeria.
The conspirators then introduced these companies to banks, which, citing the lack of genuine NAFDAC approval, claimed the products could not be exported.
A legal counsel was subsequently brought in to facilitate the issuance of a NAFDAC certificate, with payments made in stages and fraudulent receipts and documents provided to the victims.
Investigation revealed that the syndicate operated multiple accounts across several Nigerian banks and offshore in Benin Republic, with cumulative inflows from victims estimated at over $950,000 USD domestically and $450,000 USD offshore.
“
NAFDAC noted that the “unsuspecting foreigners are still sending monies into the Accounts”, adding that if has increased its investigative and enforcement measures, reconstituting its Federal Task Force and reinforcing its mobile police squad.
The case will be transferred to EFCC for further investigation, which will also consider asset recovery under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA).
The agency urged the public to avoid transacting with any entity claiming to be a consulting firm for NAFDAC product registration and advised verifying registrations through the official NAFDAC portal at https://registration.nafdac.gov.ng/.
