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The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has said there is no established evidence linking the death of a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member at the orientation camp in Agwu, Enugu State, to substandard or falsified medicines.
The agency, in a public alert issued on Sunday, said preliminary findings indicated that the deceased presented symptoms suggestive of severe malaria and subsequently developed recurrent low blood pressure and poor urine output before he was referred to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku-Ozalla, where efforts to resuscitate him failed.
NAFDAC said its officers had visited the camp clinic, interviewed medical personnel and other staff, and collected samples of the medicines administered to the deceased for laboratory analysis and further investigation.
The agency’s clarification followed reports circulating about the circumstances surrounding the corps member’s death and allegations that substandard or falsified medicines might have contributed to the tragedy.
According to the preliminary account, the corps member was brought to the camp clinic by two fellow corps members at about 9 p.m. on Wednesday, October 7, 2026 with symptoms suggestive of severe malaria. He was also said to have a history of peptic ulcer disease.
NAFDAC said he was stabilised with an intramuscular antimalarial and other supportive medications administered intravenously before being placed on bed rest for observation.
He was discharged the following morning with oral medications.
The agency stated that the corps member returned to the clinic unaided on Saturday, October 10, 2026 complaining of pain in his right thigh.
He was reportedly advised to see a physiotherapist, but his profuse sweating prompted the attending doctor to check his blood pressure, which was found to be critically low at 80/40mmHg.
According to NAFDAC, he was stabilised with intravenous normal saline. However, repeated episodes of low blood pressure and poor urine output, despite fluid replacement, raised concerns about his condition.
He was subsequently referred to UNTH in an ambulance accompanied by another doctor.
The agency said the corps member went into a coma around the time he arrived at the hospital, adding that all efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.
NAFDAC further disclosed that the camp clinic doctor was later informed by a friend of the deceased that the corps member had been vomiting for two days following his initial admission.
The doctor, according to the agency, had not been aware of the development before the information was provided.
The agency said the doctors involved believed that the cause of death was acute kidney injury secondary to severe dehydration and shock.
However, the findings remain subject to further investigation, including laboratory analysis of the medicines collected by NAFDAC officers.
To address concerns about the safety of the medicines administered at the clinic, the agency noted that the same medications had been given to several other patients at the camp, who reportedly recovered after treatment.
It added that medical doctors, pharmacists and other healthcare workers at the clinic had also prescribed and used the medications themselves at different times.
While these observations form part of the agency’s preliminary account, the results of the laboratory tests and further investigations will be important in determining whether the medicines played any role in the death.
NAFDAC expressed condolences to the family of the deceased corps member, describing the loss as irreparable and praying that God would grant the family the strength to bear the tragedy.
The agency urged members of the public to remain calm, assuring them that it was taking necessary steps to ensure that medicines available in the country were safe, of good quality and effective.
Members of the public seeking clarification or wishing to report concerns about medicines can contact NAFDAC through its call centre
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