By Capital Watch Media
The Director-General of Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, has disclosed that her life and those of her staff are under serious threat due to their ongoing efforts to eliminate counterfeit and illicit drugs from the country.
Speaking at the Meet the Media Parley organised by the presidential media team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday, Prof Adeyeye revealed that she now lives under heavy security protection and has lost her personal freedom.
“For me, I have two policemen living in my house 24/7 in Abuja and Lagos. I don’t have a life. I cannot go anywhere without police, and to me, that is not my way of living. But I don’t have a choice because we have to save our country,” she stated.
The NAFDAC boss also recounted an alarming incident involving one of her staff members whose son was kidnapped due to his father’s involvement in the agency’s work. Thankfully, the child managed to escape his captors.
The threats are believed to be connected to NAFDAC’s large-scale enforcement operations targeting three major open drug markets in Onitsha, Aba, and Lagos.
These markets are notorious for the sale of fake, expired, and substandard pharmaceuticals.
According to Prof Adeyeye, the total value of the seized counterfeit drugs and medical products stands at approximately N1 trillion, making it one of the most significant crackdowns in NAFDAC’s history.
This situation echoes the challenges faced by Prof Dora Akunyili, NAFDAC’s former Director-General (2001–2009), who also received death threats and survived an assassination attempt due to her relentless fight against counterfeit drugs.
Providing further details on the recent operation, Prof Adeyeye explained that the exercise, which began on 9 February 2025, involved 1,100 security operatives, including personnel from the military, police, and Department of State Services, DSS).
The operation led to the seizure of 87 truckloads of banned, expired, and substandard products, including antiretroviral drugs and contraceptives donated by USAID and UNFPA.
The markets targeted were Ariaria and Eziukwu Markets in Aba, Bridge Head Market in Onitsha, and Idumota Drug Market in Lagos.
Prof Adeyeye affirmed that NAFDAC’s actions are part of the National Action Plan (NAP 2.0) 2023–2027, aimed at eliminating counterfeit medicines, improving regulatory compliance, and safeguarding public health. Despite the risks, she vowed that the agency would continue its mission to protect Nigerians from dangerous and substandard drugs.
