NAFDAC: Enugu Corps Member Died Of Acute Kidney Injury, Not Substandard Drugs

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has dismissed claims that substandard and falsified drugs were responsible for the death of a corps member at the NYSC Orientation Camp in Agwu, Enugu State.

In a statement authorized by the Director General of the agency, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said preliminary findings point to acute kidney injury following severe dehydration and shock.

Prof. Adeyeye said its investigation showed the late corps member was first brought to the camp clinic on Wednesday, 7th October 2026, at about 9:00pm by two fellow corps members, presenting with symptoms suggestive of severe malaria as a known peptic ulcer disease patient.

According to the agency, the deceased was stabilized with intramuscular antimalarial and other supportive intravenous medications, placed on bed rest overnight, and discharged on Thursday morning with oral drugs.

NAFDAC explained that the deceased returned to the clinic unaided on Saturday, 10th October, complaining of right thigh pain and was advised to see a physiotherapist. However, the attending doctor noticed profuse sweating and, upon examination, found his blood pressure to be critically low at 80/40 mmHg.

He was stabilized with intravenous normal saline, but serial monitoring showed recurrent hypotension and poor urine output despite adequate fluid resuscitation, which prompted his referral to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, UNTH, Ituku-Ozalla, in an ambulance accompanied by a doctor.

The corps member reportedly went into a coma upon arrival at UNTH, and all efforts to resuscitate him failed.

NAFDAC disclosed 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, a development the doctor was not aware of at the time.

The Agency noted that the same medications administered to the late corps member were also given to several other corps members at the camp who recovered after treatment, adding that the doctors, pharmacists, and other healthcare workers at the camp clinic had also used the same medications themselves.

The medical team attributed the cause of death to acute kidney injury secondary to severe dehydration and shock.

NAFDAC said its officers have visited the clinic, interviewed doctors and other staff, and collected samples of the medications for laboratory analysis and further necessary action.

While commiserating with the family of the late corps member, the agency urged the general public to remain calm, assuring that all necessary steps are being taken to ensure that medicines made available to the public are safe, of good quality, and efficacious.