Death Threats Are Hovering Around Me” – NAFDAC Boss Adeyeye

The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has revealed that her life is under threat due to the agency’s intensified crackdown on counterfeit and illicit drugs in Nigeria.

Speaking at the Meet the Media Parley organized by the presidential media team at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Adeyeye disclosed that she no longer has personal freedom and requires constant security protection. She also noted that NAFDAC staff members assisting in these operations are facing similar security risks.

Recounting a recent incident, she stated that one of her staff members in Kano experienced a harrowing ordeal when his son was kidnapped. Fortunately, the child managed to escape his captors.

The NAFDAC boss linked these threats to the agency’s large-scale enforcement operations targeting major drug markets in Onitsha, Aba, and Lagos. She described the crackdown as one of the biggest in NAFDAC’s history, estimating the total value of seized counterfeit drugs and medical products at approximately N1 trillion.

Her revelations echo the challenges faced by a former NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Dora Akunyili, who was also targeted by drug cartels during her tenure from 2001 to 2009. Akunyili, who lost her sister to fake insulin, spearheaded aggressive campaigns against counterfeit drugs, leading to market closures and large-scale seizures. Her efforts earned her multiple threats and an assassination attempt in 2003.

Adeyeye emphasized that the fight against counterfeit drugs remains dangerous but necessary. She disclosed that she now has two police officers stationed at her residence in both Abuja and Lagos, limiting her movements. Despite these threats, she remains committed to protecting public health.

Providing further details on the agency’s recent crackdown, she revealed that NAFDAC seized 87 truckloads of banned, expired, and substandard medical products. The operation targeted key markets, including Ariaria and Eziukwu Markets in Aba, Bridge Head Market in Onitsha, and Idumota Drug Market in Lagos. Among the confiscated items were antiretroviral drugs and condoms originally donated by USAID and the UNFPA.

The enforcement exercise, which began on February 9, 2025, involved 1,100 security personnel, including military forces, police officers, and operatives from the Department of State Services (DSS). Security teams cordoned off the markets to prevent traders from smuggling out illegal products.

Adeyeye reiterated that the operation aligns with NAFDAC’s National Action Plan (NAP 2.0) for 2023-2027, which aims to eliminate counterfeit medicines, enhance regulatory compliance, and safeguard public health.