Nigeria has been thrown into a fresh wave of public fear as rights group, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), declared a national health emergency over what it described as a “deadly flood” of fake and toxic consumables sweeping across the country.
In a blistering statement by its national coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko the group accused regulatory agencies, including the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), of failing spectacularly in their duty, leaving citizens exposed to dangerous counterfeit foods, drinks, and household items.
HURIWA warned that Nigerian markets have become a “free-for-all poison zone,” where fake wines, adulterated beverages, and substandard packaged foods are openly sold to unsuspecting consumers.
“What should be basic food items are now slow poison in disguise,” the group said.
The association raised alarm over disturbing claims that fruits are being force-ripened with harmful chemicals, while infant food products are also being widely counterfeited—putting even babies at risk.
“The situation is terrifying. No Nigerian is safe anymore,” HURIWA warned.
The group also linked the growing circulation of fake consumables to a surge in kidney diseases and other chronic illnesses, especially among younger Nigerians, describing it as a “silent health catastrophe unfolding in real time.”
It further alleged a toxic mix of regulatory failure, corruption, and possible collusion between officials and criminal networks, accusing agencies meant to protect the public of abandoning their mandate.
Nigeria, HURIWA warned, is fast becoming a dumping ground for dangerous, unregulated goods.
The group called for an immediate overhaul of NAFDAC and SON, demanding the removal of ineffective leadership and the introduction of tougher enforcement mechanisms to crush counterfeit networks.
It also invoked the legacy of former NAFDAC boss, Dora Akunyili, urging a return to the aggressive anti-counterfeit campaign era that once shook Nigeria’s black market.
“This is no longer negligence—it is a national emergency,” the statement declared.
HURIWA further demanded urgent investigation and prosecution of those behind the production and distribution of fake consumables, warning that continued inaction could trigger a full-blown public health disaster.
As panic grows over food safety, the warning has intensified pressure on authorities to act before what critics are calling a “silent poisoning crisis” spirals further out of control.
Nigeria in poison panic as HURIWA declares health emergency
