The Director-General of Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has expressed concerns over threats to her life and the safety of her agency’s staff. She is urging authorities to provide them with better protection.
Speaking at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Prof. Adeyeye revealed that NAFDAC officials face constant danger while cracking down on counterfeit and substandard pharmaceutical products nationwide. She also reiterated her call for the death penalty for those involved in the trade of fake drugs, describing them as “merchants of death.”
“Our officials have been targeted simply for doing their jobs,” she said. “One of our staff members in Kano had his child kidnapped because he refused to compromise. Luckily, the child escaped.”
Prof. Adeyeye disclosed that recent enforcement actions by NAFDAC led to the seizure of 87 truckloads of substandard and expired medical products, including antiretroviral drugs and condoms. The crackdown, which took place in major drug markets in Lagos, Onitsha, and Aba, resulted in the confiscation of fake drugs valued at over ₦1 trillion, the largest seizure in the agency’s history.
However, Prof. Adeyeye lamented the personal toll of her work, stating that she now requires 24-hour police protection. “I have two policemen living with me in Abuja and Lagos. I don’t have a life anymore. I can’t go anywhere without escorts. That’s not how I want to live, but I have no choice,” she said.
Despite the threats and intimidation, the NAFDAC boss reiterated the agency’s commitment to eliminating counterfeit drugs from Nigeria.
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