The Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has said she remains undaunted by the death threats from some criminals who profit from inflicting pains on fellow Nigerians and causing avoidable deaths through unwholesome drugs.

The NAFDAC boss said the death threats followed the agency’s simultaneous operation to dismantle major fake drug distribution networks in Kano, Idumota, Yaba, and Onitsha.

She said the threats would not deter the agency from its unwavering commitment to protecting public health.

While the operation has been completed in some locations, including Idumota, it is still ongoing in Onitsha.

Adeyeye addressed reporters at the weekend in Abuja on the blacklisting of an India-based pharmaceutical company for manufacturing and exporting addictive pills containing a dangerous mix of Tapentadol and Carisoprodol, called Tafrodol or Royal 225.

The NAFDAC boss reaffirmed her call for stricter penalties against counterfeit drug manufacturers and vendors, calling on the legislature to enact stronger laws and the judiciary to deliver judgments that reflect the severity of the crime to ensure effective deterrence.

She expressed her determination to continue the fight against the manufacturing of unwholesome drugs.

Adeyeye described herself as a woman on a mission to continue her work unwaveringly, saying: “I was in the U.S. for 37 years. I came back home for service.

I could have been there, comfortable. And I tell people I came here as a missionary.

“If missionaries could leave their comfort zones where they were born and live with us in Nigeria, I do not have an excuse to come back home.

“Coming back home is not easy; it’s a sacrifice. I have grandchildren, I have children, that I don’t see. So, fear is not part of my daily dictionary.

“My coming back is to serve, but that doesn’t mean I don’t use my common sense. I use a lot of common sense, but it’s not just me alone; it’s also about my workers.

“I was not the one that was beaten and bleeding in Onitsha six months ago because they (NAFDAC workers) were on an inspection operation.

“There is one of our workers. One day, I just looked at her arm and asked: What happened? She said they went on an inspection and she almost lost her life.

“That is why the government has to know what we are doing and to compensate our workers accordingly, to protect us.”