Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has raised concerns about threats to her life and the safety of her staff. She issued a Save Our Soul (SOS) message to authorities, urging protection for her and her team, who face significant risks while carrying out their duties.
Adeyeye also called for the implementation of the death penalty for those involved in the distribution of counterfeit and illicit drugs in the country. She made these remarks during a press conference at the State House in Abuja, where she discussed the agency’s recent large-scale enforcement operation across major drug markets in Onitsha, Aba, and Lagos, which she described as the largest in NAFDAC’s history.
Regarding the challenges faced by the agency, Adeyeye shared a personal account of an attempted murder six months ago and the kidnapping of the child of one of her staff members in Kano, an incident that was linked to the staff member’s work. She revealed that she has two policemen stationed at her home 24/7 in Abuja and Lagos for her protection, noting that her life has been significantly impacted by these security concerns.
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Adeyeye emphasized that NAFDAC had seized large quantities of banned, expired, unregistered, and falsified medical products during the enforcement operation. These items will be publicly destroyed at the locations where they were seized. She called on the National Assembly to speed up the amendment of the NAFDAC Act and the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods Act to include life sentences and the death penalty for offenders.
She also urged for the proceeds of crime to be forfeited under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) after suspects are convicted. Adeyeye stated that the ongoing crackdown on the illicit drug trade had led to the seizure of 87 truckloads of dangerous medical products, including donated antiretroviral drugs and condoms. She stressed the deadly consequences of the actions of counterfeit drug peddlers and vowed to continue the fight to protect public health.
