Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has raised alarms about her own safety as well as that of her agency’s personnel in light of the ongoing battle against counterfeit medications in Nigeria. This declaration was made during a press conference at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on February 26, 2025, where she outlined the agency’s nationwide actions against fake pharmaceutical products.
Adeyeye emphasized the risks that NAFDAC officials encounter as they strive to eradicate fake and substandard drugs across the country. She urged government officials to bolster their protection due to the escalating dangers they face in their work. Additionally, she renewed her call for instituting the death penalty for individuals involved in counterfeit drug trafficking, labeling them as “merchants of death” who threaten public health.
In a poignant narrative, Adeyeye recounted a troubling incident involving a NAFDAC employee from Kano, whose child was abducted after the employee declined to assist counterfeit operators. Fortunately, the child was able to escape without injury.
Under Adeyeye’s guidance, NAFDAC’s recent enforcement initiatives have achieved notable success, including the confiscation of 87 truckloads of expired and substandard medical products—such as antiretroviral medications and condoms—valued at over N1 trillion. This operation, which took place in major drug markets in Anambra, Lagos, and Abia States, is recognized as the largest seizure in the agency’s history.
Adeyeye has openly discussed the personal toll of these challenges, revealing that she now needs constant police protection, with officers accompanying her in both Abuja and Lagos. She expressed her distress over losing her normal way of life, saying, “I can’t go anywhere without escorts. That’s not how I want to live, but I have no choice.”
In spite of these threats, Adeyeye reaffirmed NAFDAC’s commitment to eliminating counterfeit drugs from the market and safeguarding the health of the Nigerian public.
