The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has decried threats to her life and the safety of agency staff.

She urged authorities to provide them with better protection.

Speaking at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday, Adeyeye disclosed that NAFDAC officials face constant danger while cracking down on fake and substandard pharmaceutical products across the country.

She also renewed her call for the death penalty against those dealing in counterfeit drugs, describing them as merchants of death who put millions of lives at risk.

She stated, ?Our officials have been targeted simply for doing their jobs.

?One of our staff members in Kano had his child kidnapped because he refused to compromise. Luckily, the child escaped.?

Adeyeye revealed that the heightened enforcement by NAFDAC recently led to the seizure of 87 truckloads of substandard and expired medical products, including antiretroviral drugs, condoms, and other compromised medical supplies.

The crackdown, which took place at major drug markets in Lagos, Onitsha, and Aba, resulted in the confiscation of fake drugs valued at over N1 trillion?the largest seizure in the agency?s history.

Despite these efforts, Adeyeye lamented the personal toll of the job, stating that she now requires round-the-clock police protection.

?I have two policemen living with me in Abuja and Lagos. I don?t have a life anymore. I can?t go anywhere without escorts. That?s not how I want to live, but I have no choice,? she said.

The NAFDAC boss reiterated that the agency remains committed to purging the country of counterfeit drugs, even in the face of threats and intimidation.(The PUNCH)