The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has proposed the death penalty for those involved in selling fake drugs. The agency’s Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, made this demand during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Friday.
Adeyeye noted that only severe punishments could effectively stop drug peddlers, particularly when their actions lead to the deaths of innocent children. She shared a shocking example of a children’s medicine that was sold at different prices in the same mall.
“Somebody bought children’s medicine for about N13,000, while another person was selling it for around N3,000 in the same mall. That raised an alarm. Guess what? When we tested the medicine in our Kaduna lab, there was nothing inside. So, I want the death penalty.
“You don’t need to put a gun to a child’s head to kill them. Just give them bad medicine,” she said.
Adeyeye also called on the judiciary and the National Assembly to support this proposal, stressing the need for stronger laws against drug-related offenses. She noted that without firm legal consequences, criminals would continue to operate without fear.
She pointed out an alarming case where someone smuggled in 225mg of Tramadol, a highly dangerous drug that could cause severe harm or even death. However, the current legal penalty for such an offense is only a five-year prison term or a fine of N250,000.
“Someone brought in 225mg of Tramadol, which can kill a person or fry their brain, and the punishment is just five years in prison or a fine of N250,000. Who doesn’t know that a person can simply withdraw N250,000 from an ATM?” she said.
Adeyeye noted that weak penalties allow offenders to continue their illegal activities. She stressed that unless Nigeria’s laws become stricter and the judicial system takes a firmer stance, the problem will persist.
“So, our judicial system must be strong enough. We are working with the National Assembly to make our penalties much stiffer. But if you kill a child with bad medicine, you deserve to die,” she added.
