On Wednesday, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), expressed concern about threats to her life and the lives of the agency’s employees.
She urged the authorities to safeguard the agents who face numerous risks daily while performing their designated duties. This occurred at a time when the head of NAFDAC recommended that the nation’s counterfeit and illegal drug dealers be executed.
At the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Prof. Adeyeye spoke to BrandSpur Nigeria news on the agency’s recent, extensive enforcement operation in three major open drug markets: Onitsha, Aba, and Lagos. She called the operation the largest in NAFDAC’s history.
Additionally, she revealed that the estimated value of the illegal and counterfeit medications recovered was N1 trillion. Recall that throughout her time as Director-General of NAFDAC from 2001 to 2009, Prof. Dora Akunyili was plagued by drug cartels because of her unwavering efforts to fight counterfeit drugs in Nigeria.
Her sister’s death following the administration of phoney insulin served as her personal inspiration. Due to her initiatives, which resulted in the closure of outdoor pharmaceutical markets and the seizure of substantial amounts of counterfeit medications, Akunyili received multiple threats and was the target of an assassination attempt in 2003. Because of the enormous disruption to drug cartel activities caused by her efforts, she became the subject of retaliation.
The NAFDAC DG described the agency’s difficulties as she said: “I told you about the attempted murder about six months ago. One of our staff in Kano—his child was kidnapped because the father was doing what he was supposed to do. Fortunately, the child escaped.
“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’ve got to save our country. Nonetheless, I also use common sense,” the NAFDAC boss added.
She clarified that following the exercise, the seized consignments of medical supplies that are prohibited, expired, unregistered, subpar, and fabricated will be publicly incinerated in each of the places where they were seized. She urged the National Assembly to move quickly to alter the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods C34 Act and the NAFDAC ACT NI LFN to add LIFE SENTENCE & DEATH PENALTY as punishments for offences under these Acts.
Continuing, she had this to say: “With the signing into law of the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) for the forfeiture of assets, the assets recovered from suspects will be treated as proceeds of crime after their conviction by the courts.
“We use this opportunity to call on the National Assembly to expedite the amendment of NAFDAC ACT NI LFN and Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods C34 ACT to include LIFE SENTENCE & DEATH PENALTY in the penalties for crimes committed under these Acts,” Prof. Adeyeye added.
According to her, the exercise is: “Purely an enforcement operation to protect public health and rid our country of falsified and substandard medical products.”
She went on to reveal: “Many people are dying, and many have died as a result of the activities of fake drug peddlers.”
She provided additional information, stating that the agency’s continuous efforts to combat the illegal drug trade have also led to the seizure of 87 truckloads of prohibited, out-of-date, and subpar medical supplies, such as male and female condoms and antiretroviral medications donated by USAID and UNFPA.
According to her, the seizures are worth at least N1 trillion, and following evaluation, the total may be significantly more. Bridge Head Market (Onitsha), Idumota Drug Market (Lagos), and Ariaria and Eziukwu Markets (Aba) were the locations of the operation. She claims it was a component of NAFDAC’s National Action Plan (NAP 2.0) 2023–2027, which aims to protect public health, improve regulatory compliance, and eradicate counterfeit medications.
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The exercise, which started on February 9, 2025, featured 1,100 security personnel, including police, military personnel, and Department of State Services (DSS) officers, according to her. The security forces, she said, surrounded the markets to stop vendors from hiding or sneaking out illicit goods.
The operation revealed startling infractions of narcotics distribution and storage laws, she confirmed, including: “Diverted donated medical supplies: Large quantities of USAID and UNFPA-donated antiretroviral drugs and condoms, meant to support Nigeria’s HIV/AIDS response, were found expired and repackaged for sale. These life-saving medications were either improperly stored or deliberately resold for profit, undermining global efforts to combat HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. Significant volumes of Tramadol, Flunitrazepam (Rohypnol), Nitrazepam, and Diazepam—drugs linked to rising drug abuse, crime, and insecurity—were seized.”
She stated that the sheer amount of these drugs was thought to be enough to undermine national security. A significant amount of Tafradol, which was recently outlawed in India following a BBC undercover investigation that revealed its illegal sale to Africa, was also found in Onitsha, according to the NAFDAC chief. She claims that the medication has been widely overused in Nigeria despite being illegal everywhere else.
Vaccines, prescription medications, and thermolabile medications (which need to be kept cold) were discovered piled in restrooms, stairwells, and rooftops at dangerously high temperatures, according to her. In a similar vein, excessive heat was used to keep oxytocin injections and other necessary medications, making them unsafe and ineffectual.
In certain warehouses, medications were kept in windowless chambers with temperatures as high as 40°C, which accelerated chemical deterioration. She revealed that unregistered and falsified products were discovered in more than 7,000 stores screened during the operation, while banned and expired drugs were concealed in plumbing and wood plank areas of Onitsha’s Bridge Head Market, far from the authorities’ typical focus.
According to her, 40 people have been arrested so far, and the suspects will be prosecuted. Strict adherence was ensured by the coordination of security forces for the operation by Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser (NSA). To take more legal action, she added, a database of the guilty stores and their owners has been assembled.
Following the exercise, the confiscated drugs would be publicly incinerated in all three cities, she said. She discussed how NAFDAC and the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) intend to move all open drug markets to six Coordinated Wholesale Centres (CWCs), one for each geopolitical zone, within the next year.
