The Director-General of the National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has revealed the intense security threats she faces due to her fight against counterfeit and substandard drugs in Nigeria.
Speaking to State House correspondents after a briefing at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday, February 26, Prof. Adeyeye disclosed that NAFDAC recently seized illicit drugs worth over N1 trillion in its ongoing crackdown on fake pharmaceuticals.
She described the agency’s recent operation—targeting Nigeria’s three major open drug markets—as the biggest in NAFDAC’s history. The operation resulted in the confiscation of 87 truckloads of expired, banned, and substandard medical products, including:
- Antiretroviral drugs, originally donated by USAID and UNFPA
- Male and female condoms
- Other compromised medical supplies
While the initial estimate of the seized products stands at N1 trillion, Prof. Adeyeye noted that further assessments could push the figure even higher.
The NAFDAC DG recounted the dangers she and her team encounter due to their efforts to rid the country of counterfeit drugs.
“I told you about the attempted murder about six months ago. One of our staff members in Kano had his child kidnapped because he was doing his job. Fortunately, the child escaped,” she revealed.
She further shared how she is forced to live under tight security measures:
“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 my way of living, but I don’t have a choice because we must save our country. Nonetheless, I also use common sense.”
The threats faced by Prof. Adeyeye mirror those of the late Prof. Dora Akunyili, who led NAFDAC from 2001 to 2009. Akunyili, motivated by the loss of her sister to fake insulin, led a relentless fight against counterfeit drug cartels. Her campaign led to the closure of open-air drug markets, multiple seizures, and even a 2003 assassination attempt.
Like her predecessor, Prof. Adeyeye remains committed to eradicating the menace of fake drugs, despite the risks involved.
Prof. Adeyeye emphasized the urgent need for stricter penalties, including the death sentence, for those endangering lives through counterfeit drugs. She urged the Nigerian government to enact tougher laws to combat this life-threatening trade.
NAFDAC remains firm in its nationwide enforcement efforts, working to protect public health and restore confidence in Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry.
