Stringent Measures Proposed
NAFDAC Director-General Mojisola Adeyeye has proposed imposing the death penalty on drug peddlers who circulate counterfeit medicines. Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Adeyeye emphasized that only severe punishments can deter the dangerous trade of substandard drugs. She underscored that lax penalties fail to prevent crimes that cost lives, particularly those of children.
Shocking Test Results Highlight Crisis
During her address, Adeyeye recounted a case where children’s medicine was sold for as low as N3,000, despite another vendor charging N13,000 for the same product. When tested in the Kaduna laboratory, the medicine contained no active ingredients, revealing the shocking extent of drug falsification. Such deceptive practices, she argued, justify the call for capital punishment to protect public health.
Criticism of Current Lenient Sentencing
Adeyeye criticized the existing legal framework that punishes dangerous drug offenses with only five years in prison or a fine of N250,000. She cited an incident involving 225mg of Tramadol—a dose potentially fatal or brain-damaging—highlighting how the light sentences fail to deter offenders. According to her, the current measures are grossly inadequate given the severe consequences of distributing bad medicine.
Call for Legislative and Judicial Support
The NAFDAC boss stressed that her agency alone cannot combat the menace of substandard and falsified medicines. She called on the judiciary and the National Assembly to collaborate in strengthening the legal framework to impose tougher penalties. Adeyeye warned that without a united effort, drug peddlers will continue to operate with impunity, jeopardizing countless lives.
The Human Cost of Fake Medicines
The tragedy of counterfeit drugs extends far beyond financial loss, often leading to fatal outcomes, especially among vulnerable children. Adeyeye poignantly remarked, “You don’t need to put a gun to a child’s head to kill them. Just give them bad medicine.” Her words resonate with the community’s growing frustration over preventable deaths caused by substandard treatments.
A Roadmap for Enforcement Reform
In her concluding remarks, Adeyeye reaffirmed her commitment to safeguarding public health by advocating for the harshest penalties against fake drug dealers. The agency is working diligently with lawmakers and judicial bodies to create a robust deterrent against drug peddling. With stricter enforcement measures, she believes that Nigeria can protect its citizens from the lethal impacts of counterfeit medicines and restore trust in its drug regulatory system.
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