By Mathew Dadiya
Director General DG of the National Agency for Foods Drugs, Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Mojisola Adeyeye has raised the alarm over threats to her life and the safety of agency staff, calling on authorities to protect them as they navigate hazardous conditions in their duties.
Adeyeye who spoke on Wednesday to State House correspondent at the Presidential Villa revealed that the agency discovered “large quantities of donated antiretroviral drugs, expired female, and male condoms by USAID, UNFPA,” during the recent raids in warehouses in Lagos, Onitsha and Aba markets.
The NAFDAC director general also listed several discoveries during the exercise, adding that “NAFDAC succeeded in removing from circulation eighty-seven (87) Truckloads of Banned, Expired, Unregistered, Suspected Falsified and Substandard Medical Products from the three markets removed from over 7,000 shops screened as at today 26th February 2025.
The exercise, which provoked several reactions, witnessed the screening of shops in Idumota, Onitsha and Aba markets.
Speaking on challenges faced by the Agency, the NAFDAC DG, revealed that she is constantly under fear of attacks, despite the presence of security aides attached to her.
“I move everywhere with security operatives. This is not my lifestyle, but I have to adapt to it.”
Other items found according to the agency include “Large quantities of Pharmaceutical Products including Vaccines, Prescription Only Medicines, etc. These products were discovered stacked in toilets, under staircases, and roof top at very high temperatures, without consideration for cold chain storage requirements.
The NAFDAC boss also revealed that Oxytocin injection and several other thermolabile products stored under extremely hot temperatures enough to denature any genuine pharmaceuticals, were also discovered
“The problem is not only about the originality of the products but about the environment and storage. Products recommended to be stored at -8°C, -2°C to 8°C were found in this environment.
“We also found Large quantities of controlled drugs such as TAFRADOL (recently banned in India after BBC undercover exposure of the company manufacturing and exporting various illicit drugs to Africa including Nigeria). This drug combination has not been licenced anywhere in the world and outrightly banned for use in the European Union.
Others include tramadol, Flunitrazepam (Rohypnol), Nitrazepam and Diazepam that have been fuelling insecurity in the country were found in all the markets. The volume of Narcotics and Controlled Substances seized from each of these locations are enough to destabilize the country security-wise.
She disclosed that NAFDAC found “Large quantities of donated antiretroviral drugs, expired female, and male condoms by USAID, UNFPA.
“Huge quantities of banned, unregistered, expired products, found in the plumbing and wood plank sections of the Head Bridge.
