NAFDAC Defends ₦700,000 Penalty Amid Crackdown on Fake Drugs, Says Charges Were Lawful and Reduced on Humanitarian Grounds
The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has stated unequivocally that the agency will not reverse its decision requiring drug shop owners in Onitsha’s Bridge Head Market to pay ₦700,000 before reopening. This decision comes after a large-scale enforcement operation aimed at cleaning up Nigeria’s open drug markets, which are plagued by counterfeit, expired, and unregistered pharmaceuticals.
During a press briefing in Lagos on Friday, Adeyeye explained that the fees being imposed are not arbitrary; rather, they are part of federally established investigative fees. She noted that the charges were significantly reduced from the initial amounts, ₦5 million to ₦200,000 for the sale of unregistered products, and ₦2 million to ₦500,000 for violations of Good Storage and Distribution Practices due to the economic hardship many traders are facing and their appeals for reconsideration. “There were many pleas,” she said.
Regardless of their past actions, we had to take the economy into account, which is why we reduced the charges. However, it is important to clarify that these fees are legal charges supported by federal policy.” Between February 9 and March 27, 2025, NAFDAC conducted a sweeping operation in three notorious drug markets, Idumota (Lagos), Ariaria (Aba), and Ogbogwu (Onitsha), resulting in the seizure and destruction of counterfeit and harmful drugs worth over ₦1 trillion.
Adeyeye emphasized that many of these substances, including banned narcotics and expired medications, had been diverted from donor agencies, posing serious public health risks. Following this operation, the Ogbogwu market officially reopened on March 9, 2025.
According to NAFDAC, more than 2,500 traders operating in 3,500 shops have now resumed business after complying with regulatory directives and paying the reduced fines. Despite criticisms from political figures such as Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, members of the Labour Party caucus, and social media activist VeryDarkMan (VDM), Adeyeye insisted that NAFDAC would not bow to public pressure or misinformation. “These claims of extortion are propaganda,” she asserted. “The true culprits are the traders bringing banned and dangerous drugs into the country, not those advocating for consumer safety.”
NAFDAC also warned that it would invoke the Cybercrime Act if false accusations against the agency continue. “We are not here to witch-hunt,” the Director-General added. “We are here to save lives, especially those of children, pregnant women, and the chronically ill.” Prof. Adeyeye reassured the public that NAFDAC remains committed to its mandate of safeguarding public health through ongoing monitoring and enforcement across all drug markets in Nigeria. “This isn’t about punishment; it’s about protecting Nigerians from a deadly industry,” she concluded.
