The Director-General of the National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control ,NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has raised concerns about threat to her life and the safety of the agency’s staff.

She urged authorities to provide protection as they work in dangerous conditions.

Prof. Adeyeye also called for the implementation of the death penalty for those involved in the production and sale of counterfeit and fake drugs in Nigeria.

Speaking at a State House briefing at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday, Prof. Adeyeye disclosed that NAFDAC had recently seized illicit drugs worth over N1 trillion as part of an ongoing crackdown on substandard and fake pharmaceutical products.

She explained that the agency’s intensified enforcement actions had led to the seizure of 87 truckloads of banned, expired, and substandard medical supplies, including antiretroviral drugs, male and female condoms, and other compromised medical products donated by USAID and UNFPA.

Describing the operation as the largest in NAFDAC’s history, Prof. Adeyeye noted that it targeted Nigeria’s three major open drug markets:

– Ariaria and Eziukwu Markets in Aba, Abia State
– Bridge Head Market in Onitsha, Anambra State
– Idumota Drug Market in Lagos State

While she estimated the value of the seized items at no less than N1 trillion, Prof. Adeyeye mentioned that further assessments could raise the figure.

The NAFDAC Director-General also shared troubling details about the threats faced by the agency’s staff, including attempts on their lives

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She recalled a kidnapping attempt six months ago involving a staff member in Kano, whose child was abducted due to his work, though the child later escaped.

Regarding her own security, Prof. Adeyeye disclosed , “I have two policemen living in my house 24/7 in Abuja and Lagos. I don’t have a life. I can’t go anywhere without police escorts. That’s not the way I would like to live, but I have no choice because we must save our country. However, I also use common sense.”

The threats against Prof. Adeyeye reflect a pattern seen during the tenure of her predecessor, Prof. Dora Akunyili, who served as NAFDAC’s Director-General from 2001 to 2009.

Akunyili, who became a target of drug cartels for her uncompromising stance against counterfeit drugs, was motivated by the death of her sister, who died after receiving fake insulin.

Her campaigns led to the closure of open-air drug markets and the seizure of counterfeit drugs, but also drew threats, including an assassination attempt in 2003.

Like Akunyili, Prof. Adeyeye remains committed to combating the fake drug trade, despite the personal risks.

She emphasized the importance of stronger punitive measures, including the death penalty, for those responsible for producing and selling counterfeit drugs.

Prof. Adeyeye urged the Nigerian government to strengthen laws aimed at curbing the deadly counterfeit drug trade, as NAFDAC continues its efforts to protect public health and restore confidence in Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry.

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