The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has seized fake and illicit drugs worth over N1 trillion in what it describes as the largest enforcement operation in its history, spanning major drug markets in Onitsha, Aba, and Lagos.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja, on Wednesday NAFDAC Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, revealed that the agency’s operatives confiscated 87 truckloads of counterfeit, expired, and unregistered medical products, including USAID and UNFPA-donated antiretroviral drugs and condoms, found in sealed markets.
Reacting to a question about the value of seizures made so far in the operation, Professor Adeyeye said, “it is N1 trillion. It may have been an underestimation for now, but when we finish the operation, we will have a good idea”.
Prof. Adeyeye decried the grave risks faced by NAFDAC officials, disclosing that her life and those of her staff have been threatened by criminal cartels involved in the illegal drug trade.
“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,” she said.
She added, “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.”
The NAFDAC boss called for harsher penalties for those involved in the counterfeit drug trade, urging the National Assembly to amend the NAFDAC Act and the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs Act to include life imprisonment and the death penalty.
“Many people are dying, many have died, as a result of the activities of fake drug peddlers. We call on the National Assembly to expedite the amendment of the NAFDAC Act to include life sentence and the death penalty in the penalties for crimes committed under these Acts,” she stated.
Prof. Adeyeye described the illegal drug trade as a threat to public health and national security, highlighting the seizure of large quantities of Tramadol, Flunitrazepam (Rohypnol), Nitrazepam, and Diazepam, which are commonly linked to drug abuse and crime.
“The sheer volume of these narcotics is enough to destabilize national security,” she warned.
The enforcement operation, which began on February 9, 2025, involved 1,100 security operatives, including the military, police, and the Department of State Services (DSS).
Security forces cordoned off markets in Ariaria and Eziukwu (Aba), Bridge Head (Onitsha), and Idumota (Lagos) to prevent traders from smuggling out illegal products.
According to the NAFDAC Chief, operatives uncovered shocking violations of drug storage and distribution regulations, including:
“Large quantities of USAID and UNFPA-donated antiretroviral drugs and condoms, meant for Nigeria’s HIV/AIDS response, were found expired and repackaged for sale.
“Unapproved drugs: A banned Indian drug, Tafradol, recently exposed in a BBC investigation, was discovered in Onitsha.
“Severe storage violations: Vaccines, thermolabile drugs, and essential medicines were stored in toilets, staircases, rooftops, and rooms without ventilation, where temperatures reached 40°C, rendering them ineffective and potentially toxic” she said.
Prof. Adeyeye disclosed that over 7,000 shops were screened, with 40 arrests made so far. A database of offenders and their shops has been compiled for prosecution.
The NAFDAC DG announced that all seized counterfeit drugs will be publicly destroyed in the locations where they were confiscated.
She also reaffirmed plans, in collaboration with the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), to relocate all open drug markets within the next year to six Coordinated Wholesale Centres (CWCs)—one in each geopolitical zone.
The crackdown was part of NAFDAC’s National Action Plan (NAP 2.0) 2023-2027, aimed at eliminating counterfeit medicines, improving regulatory compliance, and protecting public health.
Prof. Adeyeye’s revelations echoed the experiences of former NAFDAC DG Prof. Dora Akunyili, who faced assassination attempts for her relentless fight against fake drugs.
Akunyili’s efforts significantly disrupted drug cartels and led to major reforms in Nigeria’s pharmaceutical sector.
With the ongoing war against counterfeit drugs, Prof. Adeyeye insists that the stakes are higher than ever, saying, “this is purely an enforcement operation to protect public health and rid our country of falsified and substandard medical products.”