The Director-General of the 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 agency staff.
Speaking at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday, Adeyeye revealed that NAFDAC officials face constant danger while combating the distribution of fake and substandard pharmaceutical products across the country.
She also reiterated her stance on the need for the death penalty against those involved in the sale of counterfeit drugs, describing them as “merchants of death” who endanger millions of lives.
“Our officials have been targeted simply for doing their jobs,” she stated.
She further recounted an incident where a NAFDAC staff member in Kano was targeted. “One of our staff members in Kano had his child kidnapped because he refused to compromise. Luckily, the child escaped,” she said.
Adeyeye highlighted NAFDAC’s recent enforcement efforts, which led to the seizure of 87 truckloads of substandard and expired medical products, including antiretroviral drugs and condoms, from major drug markets in Lagos, Onitsha, and Aba. The fake drugs, valued at over N1 trillion, mark the largest seizure in the agency’s history.
Despite these successes, she lamented the personal toll her job has taken on her life. “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.
Adeyeye reaffirmed NAFDAC’s commitment to eliminating counterfeit drugs, even in the face of threats and intimidation.
