NIGERIA: “I’m Not Afraid Of Death Threats”– NAFDAC DG Says

By Ameenat Hamzat, Lagos, Nigeria

The Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has declared that she remains unshaken by death threats from criminals profiting from the sale of harmful and illicit drugs that endanger Nigerian lives.

According to Adeyeye, these threats followed the agency’s large-scale crackdown on major fake drug distribution networks in Kano, Idumota, Yaba, and Onitsha. While operations in some areas, Idumota, have been completed, efforts in Onitsha are still ongoing.

Speaking to reporters in Abuja over the weekend, she addressed the agency’s blacklisting of an India-based pharmaceutical company found guilty of producing and exporting addictive pills laced with a dangerous combination of Tapentadol and Carisoprodol, known as Tafrodol or Royal 225.

Adeyeye reiterated her call for stricter penalties against counterfeit drug manufacturers and vendors.

She further urged lawmakers to strengthen existing regulations and called on the judiciary to impose severe punishments that reflect the gravity of such offenses, ensuring an effective deterrent against the illicit drug trade.

Despite the risks, she remains resolute in her mission to safeguard public health.

She stated: “I spent 37 years in the U.S. before returning to Nigeria to serve. If missionaries could leave their comfort zones to help others, I have no excuse not to return home. It hasn’t been easy, it’s a sacrifice. I have children and grandchildren I rarely see, but fear is not part of my vocabulary.”

She emphasized: “I was not the one beaten and left bleeding in Onitsha six months ago during an inspection. One of our workers almost lost her life during an operation. When I asked her about the injury on her arm, she recounted the ordeal. This is why the government must recognize our efforts, ensure the safety of our workers, and adequately compensate them.”