NAFDAC DG Raises Alarm Over Life Threats, Advocates for Enhanced Protection.
By Our Correspondent, Abuja.
Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has sounded the alarm regarding threats to her life and the safety of NAFDAC staff.
During a recent briefing at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, she called upon authorities to implement measures that ensure their protection as they navigate the hazardous landscape of their duties.
Highlighting the agency’s ongoing efforts against counterfeit and substandard medications, Prof. Adeyeye advocated for the imposition of the death penalty for individuals involved in the production and sale of fake pharmaceuticals in Nigeria. She disclosed that NAFDAC had recently confiscated illicit drugs valued at over N1 trillion as part of a major crackdown on substandard health products.
The agency’s intensified enforcement operations have led to the seizure of 87 truckloads of banned, expired, and substandard medical products.
Prof. Adeyeye noted that items seized included crucial supplies donated by USAID and UNFPA, such as antiretroviral drugs and male and female condoms, indicating the serious implications for public health.
This operation, described as the largest in NAFDAC’s history, targeted Nigeria’s three primary open drug markets. While Prof. Adeyeye estimated the current value of the seized goods at a minimum of N1 trillion, further evaluations may reveal an even higher figure.
She recounted troubling incidents faced by her staff, including kidnapping attempts and direct threats. “For instance, six months ago, one of our staff in Kano had his child kidnapped as a reprisal for his work. Fortunately, the child escaped,” she shared.
Expressing the personal toll of these threats, Prof. Adeyeye noted that she requires constant police protection, stating, “I have two policemen residing in my home 24/7 in both Abuja and Lagos. This level of security is not conducive to a normal life, but it has become a necessity in our mission to protect public health.”
Emphasizing the urgency of the situation, she called for stronger legal repercussions for those endangering lives through the distribution of counterfeit drugs.
Prof. Adeyeye urged the Nigerian government to enact more stringent laws to combat the dangerous trade in fake pharmaceuticals.
