By Desire Uzochukwu
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Sunday cautioned against linking the death of a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member at the orientation camp in Agwu, Enugu State, to substandard or falsified medicines, saying investigations and laboratory tests are still ongoing.
The agency said preliminary findings from the incident suggested that the corps member may have died from acute kidney injury secondary to severe dehydration and shock, following episodes of low blood pressure and poor urine output.
In a press statement by its Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, NAFDAC said its officers had visited the camp clinic, interviewed the medical personnel and collected samples of the medicines administered to the deceased for laboratory analysis.
The statement comes amid reports linking the corps member’s death to the effects of substandard or falsified medicines.
NAFDAC recalled that the deceased was first taken to the camp clinic on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at about 9pm by two fellow corps members, with symptoms suggestive of severe malaria and a known history of peptic ulcer disease.
According to the agency, he was stabilised with an intramuscular antimalarial drug and other supportive medications administered intravenously.
“He was subsequently placed on bed rest for observation and discharged the following morning with oral medications.”
NAFDAC said the corps member returned to the clinic unaided on Saturday, October 10, complaining of pain in his right thigh. He was advised to see a physiotherapist.
However, his profuse sweating prompted the attending doctor to check his blood pressure, which was found to be critically low at 80/40mmHg.
The statement said he was stabilised with intravenous normal saline, but subsequent monitoring revealed recurrent episodes of hypotension.
“This development, coupled with poor urine output despite adequate fluid resuscitations, prompted his referral to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu State, in an ambulance accompanied by another doctor,” the agency said.
NAFDAC disclosed that the corps member slipped into a coma around the time he arrived at the teaching hospital, where efforts to resuscitate him proved unsuccessful.
The agency also revealed that a friend of the deceased later informed the camp clinic doctor that the corps member had been vomiting for two days after his initial admission.
“The doctor was not aware of this development,” the statement added.
Seeking to address concerns about the medicines administered at the clinic, NAFDAC said the same medications had been given to several other corps members who recovered after treatment.
It added that the medical doctors, pharmacists and other healthcare workers at the clinic had also prescribed or used the medications themselves at different times.
However, the agency stressed that samples had been taken for laboratory analysis and that further action would depend on the outcome of the investigations.
While the preliminary medical assessment pointed to acute kidney injury associated with severe dehydration and shock, the agency did not announce a final, laboratory-confirmed cause of death.
NAFDAC expressed condolences to the family of the deceased and urged the public to remain calm while it pursues the necessary investigations.
The agency reiterated its commitment to ensuring that medicines available to Nigerians are safe, of good quality and effective.
It urged consumers to report complaints or seek clarification through its call centre on 0800-1-623322 or 0700-1-623322, or by email at reforms@nafdac.gov.ng.
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