The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, has reaffirmed her stance on the imposition of the death penalty for individuals involved in the production and distribution of fake drugs.

Speaking on Arise Primetime, Adeyeye described such individuals as “merchants of death” who prioritise profits over human lives.

She argued that the existing penalties for fake drug peddlers were too lenient, justifying her advocacy for harsher punishments, including capital punishment.

“Someone violates NAFDAC regulations, manufactures medicines that could kill people, and gets only five years in prison or a fine of ₦250,000. To me, that’s weak,” she said. “We need to strengthen the penalties and make them much stiffer.”

Adeyeye maintained that the death penalty was necessary to serve as a deterrent.

“It is all about deterrence,” she said. “If someone knowingly kills others and remains unrepentant, perhaps they should face the same fate.”

Addressing concerns about potential wrongful convictions, she reassured the public that NAFDAC employs rigorous scientific methods to ensure accuracy.

“We have laboratories, but we don’t rely solely on them,” she explained. “We conduct inter-laboratory proficiency testing by sending samples to other labs. Science does not lie. If a drug is found to be ineffective or dangerous, it is a legitimate conviction, not a wrongful one.”

Adeyeye also highlighted the agency’s efforts to strengthen partnerships in the fight against fake drugs.

“As part of our national action plan, we are establishing strategic collaborations,” she said. “We have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigeria Customs Service and are working more closely than ever before.”

She added that a similar MoU had been signed with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to improve cooperation in tackling drug-related crimes.

“Our focus is on national interest. It’s not about NAFDAC, Customs, or NDLEA; it’s about Nigeria first,” she stated.

Adeyeye’s strong stance on the death penalty for fake drug dealers has sparked debate, with critics arguing that it is excessively harsh. Nonetheless, she remains resolute in her commitment to protecting Nigerians from the menace of counterfeit drugs.