In a startling revelation, the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has disclosed that her life hangs in the balance due to her relentless fight against fake and illicit drugs in Nigeria.
For Prof. Adeyeye, personal freedom is now a luxury she can no longer afford. Every movement she makes is shadowed by security personnel, a stark reminder of the dangers she faces daily.
However, the threats are not confined to her alone, her staff, who work tirelessly to uphold the agency’s mandate, have also become targets. She recounted a chilling incident where one of her staff members’ child was kidnapped but miraculously escaped his captors.
This revelation came to light on the 26th of February, 2025 at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, during the Meet the Media Parley organized by the presidential media team.
A Historic Crackdown on Nigeria’s Drug Markets
Amidst ongoing controversy, Prof. Adeyeye addressed the massive enforcement operation that recently swept through three major drug hubs Onitsha, Aba, and Lagos describing it as one of the most extensive in NAFDAC’s history.
According to her, the agency confiscated counterfeit medical products worth approximately ₦1 trillion, a staggering sum that underscores the scale of Nigeria’s fake drug crisis.
However, the war against illicit pharmaceuticals is not new. The late Prof. Dora Akunyili, NAFDAC’s fearless former DG (2001-2009), walked a similar path, risking her life to dismantle drug cartels.
Her battle was deeply personal, her sister had died after receiving fake insulin, a tragedy that fueled her unwavering resolve.
Akunyili’s reforms led to the closure of unregulated medicine markets and massive seizures of counterfeit drugs, making her a marked woman.
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In 2003, she narrowly escaped assassination, a grim testament to the power and ruthlessness of the drug syndicates.
Living Under Constant Threat
Prof. Adeyeye now finds herself walking in Akunyili’s footsteps, facing an equally ruthless opposition.
Speaking on the dangers her team faces, she revealed: “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 have to save our country. Nonetheless, I also use common sense.”
Her words paint a grim picture of the sacrifices required to cleanse Nigeria’s pharmaceutical sector.
1,100 Operatives, 87 Truckloads of Fake Drugs Seized
As part of NAFDAC’s National Action Plan (NAP 2.0) 2023-2027, which aims to eradicate counterfeit drugs, improve regulatory standards, and protect public health, the agency launched a large-scale raid on the notorious drug markets in Ariaria and Eziukwu (Aba), Bridge Head (Onitsha), and Idumota (Lagos).
The crackdown, which began on February 9, 2025, saw 1,100 security personnel, including military officers, police, and DSS operatives, cordon off the markets, ensuring that traders had no chance to smuggle out illegal goods. The operation led to the seizure of 87 truckloads of counterfeit, expired, and banned medical products—including USAID- and UNFPA-donated antiretroviral drugs, male and female condoms exposing the depth of the illicit trade.
While this enforcement marks a significant victory, it also raises a troubling question: How far will the drug cartels go to silence those who threaten their empire? For Prof. Adeyeye and her team, the fight is far from over, but the risks they face grow with each victory.