Director General of the National Agency for Foods, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof Mojisola Adeyeye has raised the alarm about threats to her life and that of some staff of the agency.
She has, therefore, dent a Safe our Soul (SOS) message to the authorities to protect her and the operatives who daily go through a great deal of hazards while carrying out their assigned responsibilities.
The NAFDAC boss also prescribed death penalty for counterfeit and illicit drugs peddlers in the country.
Adeyeye, who spoke Wednesday at a news conference at the State House, Abuja, on the agency’s recent large-scale
enforcement operation across three major open drug markets of Onitsha, Aba and Lagos, describing it as the biggest in NAFDAC’s history.
Commenting on the agency’s challenges, the NAFDAC DG said, “I told you about the attempted murder about six months ago. One of our staff in Kano, his child was kidnapped because the father was doing what he was supposed to do. Fortunately the child escaped.
“For me, I have two policemen living in my house 24/7 in Abuja and Lagos. I don’t have a life. I cannot go anywhere without police and to me that is not my way of living. But I don’t have a choice because we’ve got to save our country. Nonetheless, I also use common sense”.
Adeyeye explained that the seized consignments of banned, expired, unregistered substandard and falsified medical products will be destroyed publicly in each of the locations where they were seized, after the exercise.
She called for speedy work by the National Assembly to expedite the amendment of NAFDAC ACT NI LFN and Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods C34 ACT to include LIFE SENTENCE & DEATH PENALTY in the penalties for crimes committed under these ACTS.
“With the signing into law, the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) for forfeiture of assets, the assets recovered from suspects will be treated as proceeds of crime after their conviction by the courts.
“We use this opportunity to call on the National Assembly to expedite the amendment of NAFDAC ACT NI LFN and Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods C34 ACT to include LIFE SENTENCE & DEATH PENALTY in the penalties for crimes committed under these ACTS,” she stated.
Adeyeye described the exercise as “purely an enforcement operation to protect public health and rid our country of Falsified and Substandard Medical Products.
”Many people are dying, many have died, as a result of the activities of the fake drugs peddlers.”
Speaking further, Adeyeye said the ongoing crackdown on illicit drug trade by operatives of the agency has resulted in the seizure of 87 truckloads of banned, expired, and substandard medical products, including USAID and UNFPA-donated antiretroviral drugs, male and female condoms.
She said the value of the seizures is about N1 trillion and could be much higher after assessment.
The operation was executed in Ariaria and Eziukwu Markets (Aba), Bridge Head Market (Onitsha), and Idumota Drug Market (Lagos).
According to her, the operation was part of NAFDAC’s National Action Plan (NAP 2.0) 2023-2027, aimed at eliminating counterfeit medicines, improving regulatory compliance, and safeguarding public health.
Adeyeye disclosed that the
exercise, which commenced on February 9, 2025, involved 1,100 security operatives, including military personnel, police, and Department of State Services (DSS) agents.
The security forces, she explained, cordoned off the markets to prevent traders from concealing or smuggling out illegal products.
She affirmed that the operation uncovered shocking violations of drug storage and distribution regulations, including: diverted donated medical supplies, large quantities of USAID and UNFPA-donated antiretroviral drugs and condoms meant to support Nigeria’s HIV/AIDS response, were found expired and repackaged for sale.
Adeyeye said these life-saving medications were either improperly stored or deliberately resold for profit, undermining global efforts to combat HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.
Significant volumes of Tramadol, Flunitrazepam (Rohypnol), Nitrazepam, and Diazepam, drugs linked to rising drug abuse, crime, and insecurity, were seized.
She said the sheer volume of these narcotics was deemed sufficient to destabilize national security.
On fake, expired, and unregistered drugs, she disclosed that banned and expired drugs were hidden in plumbing and wood plank sections of Onitsha’s Bridge Head Market, far from the authorities’ usual focus while
unregistered and falsified products were found in over 7,000 shops screened during the operation.
The Director General announced that so far, 40 arrests have been made, with suspects facing prosecution.
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, coordinated security forces for the operation, ensuring strict compliance.
Adeyeye also said a database of the offending shops and their owners has been compiled for further legal action.
According to her, the seized drugs will be publicly destroyed in the three cities after the exercise.
She spoke of plans by NAFDAC and the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) to relocate all open drug markets within the next year to six Coordinated Wholesale Centres (CWCs), one per geopolitical zone.
Adeyeye said the sealed drug markets may be reopened in about a week.
“This exercise is purely an enforcement operation to protect public health and rid our country of Falsified and Substandard Medical Products,” she further explained.
