Syndicate defrauding foreign companies using NAFDAC documents exposed

National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) said it has uncovered a syndicate defrauding foreign companies in Nigeria using fake NAFDAC documents. Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General of NAFDAC, disclosed this on Friday while briefing the press. She said a prime suspect, Ikoro Ifendu, a native of Anambra State, had been arrested for allegedly impersonating a NAFDAC official and defrauding foreign companies of over $1.4 million using fake approval documents Adeyeye said the prime suspect was arrested on Feb. 7, 2025 at Ogborn Hills, Aba, Abia State.
“This case was reported by Thani Almaeeni Trading Group, Abu Dhabi, UAE, following their application to register Dry Fish (Seafood). Thani Almaeeni Trading Group, Abu Dhabi, UAE, and several other companies from different countries fell victim to this fraud. The fraudsters operated through a complex three-pronged scheme involving a buyer, a bank, and a lawyer. They would contact foreign companies seeking to import goods into Nigeria, then introduce them to a supposed bank for payment processing. The bank would claim that the goods required NAFDAC approval, after which the companies would be referred to a fraudulent lawyer who would collect payments in installments, issuing counterfeit NAFDAC certificates and receipts. Our investigation revealed that the group operates 15 domiciliary and five local accounts in seven Nigerian banks. One of these accounts has a BVN linked to two key members of the syndicate, Ikoro Mang Ifendu and Rosemary Obosi. However, the full extent of their financial operations is yet to be determined, as some accounts and alert messages have been deleted.
“The tentative cumulative inflow from different victims into the domiciliary accounts in Nigeria is estimated to be over $950,000 USD, while the sum of $450,000 USD is the estimated inflow into the accounts held offshore in Cotonou, Benin Republic. Even as we speak, unsuspecting victims are still depositing funds into these fraudulent accounts. Just before this press conference, we received an alert of $75,000 in one of the domiciliary accounts,” she said. NAFDAC boss said the syndicate used various forged documents of NAFDAC which included “a Certificate of Registration for dried fish (Seafood) with a fake NAFDAC Registration No. A2-7059, issued to Thani Almaeeni Trading Group in Abu Dhabi.
“Revenue receipts for fraudulent payments, including ₦6,687,000, ₦20,900,000, and ₦6,819,200 to different foreign firms. Fake processing requirement documents demanding $13,785, fraudulently signed in the name of a former NAFDAC Director-General who retired a year earlier. “These fraudsters are highly sophisticated. They used forged letterheads, fake revenue receipts, and counterfeit NAFDAC certificates to make their scams appear legitimate. Adeyeye said the case would be handed over to the EFCC for further investigation and prosecution. After exhausting the link to falsification of NAFDAC regulated products, this case will be transferred to EFCC. This will expand the investigation into other areas beyond NAFDAC’s mandate.”