‘We’re protecting lives’ — NAFDAC DG defends crackdown on fake medicines

Mojisola Adeyeye, director-general of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), says there is no political interference in its recent crackdown on illegal pharmaceuticals.

Speaking during a visit to Lagos on Saturday, Adeyeye said the is agency is only performing its duty of safeguarding the health of Nigerians.

Her visit followed the seizure of large consignments of illicit pharmaceuticals, including Cocodamol and falsified GSK Ampiclox, from the Idumota Open Drug Market in Lagos.

Officials also discovered banned, unregistered, and expired products — some of which were controlled substances.

Speaking to journalists after inspecting the confiscated drugs, Adeyeye insisted that the agency was acting strictly within its mandate.

“We’re protecting lives. What NAFDAC is doing is exactly what it is mandated to do. There is no politics in this operation,” she said.

She also noted that many traders in these markets operate without registration from the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN).

Adeyeye added that than 1,000 NAFDAC personnel are currently working to remove counterfeit, expired, and unregistered medicines from circulation.

NAFDAC has recently intensified its enforcement efforts, carrying out similar raids in Onitsha, Anambra State, and Aba, Abia State.

In a major operation, authorities shut down the Onitsha Bridgehead Drug Market over alleged sales of illegal medicines.