The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has proposed the introduction of the death penalty for drug peddlers, especially those whose actions lead to the death of children.
In her remarks over the weekend, Adeyeye emphasised the urgent need for stricter penalties to deter the distribution of harmful and substandard drugs, which she described as merchants of death. She argued that severe punishment is necessary to address the growing issue of fake and dangerous medications in Nigeria.
She highlighted a case involving the illegal importation of high doses of tramadol, a potent drug that can cause severe harm or death, yet the culprit only received a five-year prison sentence or a fine of N250,000. Adeyeye criticized the leniency of such sentences, suggesting that the minimal fine would not effectively deter offenders.
“Who wouldn’t pay a fine of N250,000 and commit the same offence?” she questioned.
Adeyeye also stressed the inadequacy of current laws to protect the public, particularly vulnerable groups like children, who are often the primary victims of counterfeit drugs.
The NAFDAC DG further disclosed that the agency is working with lawmakers to push for stronger penalties to combat counterfeit drug distribution. She also voiced concern about the agency’s limited resources, revealing that NAFDAC operates with a small staff of around 2,000, which is insufficient to cover the needs of Nigeria’s population of over 200 million.
“We are understaffed, and our funding is limited. I hope things will improve so we can strengthen our efforts,” Adeyeye concluded.
