NAFDAC’s Brutality: Cancer on the Toe Does not Justify Amputating the whole Body

DDM NEWS

NAFDAC’s response to my critique is nothing but a desperate, poorly executed attempt at intimidation.

Instead of addressing the core issues, the agency resorted to name-calling, baseless accusations, and cheap emotional manipulation.

This is the typical playbook of a failed institution when confronted with truth, they cower behind propaganda and hired writers who spew personal attacks rather than facts.

Let it be clear: this attempt to silence me will not work. If NAFDAC wants a media war, I am more than ready.

It’s already making rounds that ₦2 million was demanded to reopen sealed shops, but I’ll set that aside for now. It will be an issue for another day

NAFDAC’s attempt at reverse psychology is laughable.

They call me a “sponsored writer” while hiring two media consultants to spin their narrative.

If anyone is playing the propaganda game, it is them.

Their desperation is evident. They cannot counter my facts, so they resort to smearing my credibility. But Nigerians are not fools. They can see through the deception.

The real question is: if NAFDAC has nothing to hide, why are they scrambling to control the narrative instead of addressing the issues I raised? Their response is not a defense, it is an admission of guilt wrapped in empty rhetoric.

The agency has proven that it is not about genuine regulation but about witch-hunting and extortion.

Instead of fixing the structural failures that allow fake drugs to thrive, it has launched an indiscriminate war against the very people keeping Nigeria’s pharmaceutical supply chain afloat.

The destruction of legitimate businesses under the guise of enforcement is nothing but a reckless and dangerous abuse of power.

A cancer on the toe does not justify amputating the entire body.

That is exactly what NAFDAC is doing; punishing the entire sector instead of surgically removing the bad actors. This is not regulation; this is tyranny.

Their entire argument is built on deception.

They claim that 11,000 shops were sealed based on investigations, yet they provide no evidence, no transparency, and no due process.

If they had genuine proof, where are the prosecution records? Where are the court convictions?

What we see instead is an agency that acts as judge, jury, and executioner; shutting down businesses, destroying livelihoods, and driving up drug prices across the country.

Essential medicines have now become scarce and expensive, and the black market is thriving because of this ill-conceived war against distributors.

Who is really endangering Nigerian lives? Those ensuring access to medication or an agency that prioritizes media stunts over public health?

NAFDAC’s hypocrisy knows no bounds. They conveniently sidestep their failure to implement the Coordinated Wholesale Centres (CWCs), an initiative designed to sanitize drug distribution.

The truth is simple: if CWCs had been properly established, there would be no need for this indiscriminate crackdown.

But rather than take responsibility, NAFDAC prefers grandstanding and scapegoating.

Now, they claim traders “resisted reforms,” when in reality, these traders took it upon themselves to privately fund the very CWCs the government abandoned.

And how did NAFDAC reward them? By frustrating the project at every turn.

Their response is filled with contradictions.

They ask why traders “fear compliance,” yet they are the same agency that seals shops without explanation and demands millions in bribes to unseal them.

If their enforcement is truly about public health, why does corruption thrive within their ranks? Where is the accountability?

They claim to be fighting for Nigerians, yet their actions have made essential medicines unaffordable for millions.

If the goal is truly to eliminate counterfeit drugs, why have they refused to engage stakeholders in meaningful dialogue?

Why do they prefer to instill fear instead of fostering cooperation?

NAFDAC should be reminded that its core mission is to serve Nigerians not to destroy an entire industry through reckless witch-hunting.

It is meant to protect public health, not to drive genuine medicine dealers out of business while shady operators find new ways to exploit regulatory gaps.

A regulatory body that cannot differentiate between criminals and law-abiding businesses is not fit for purpose.

Instead of trying to intimidate critics, the agency should focus on reforming itself, cleaning up its own corruption, and implementing real solutions that protect Nigerians without crippling an essential sector.

The era of unchecked abuse is over. If NAFDAC thinks it can silence me with threats and propaganda, they are mistaken.

I will not back down, and I will not relent until every Nigerian understands what is happening.

The agency must decide: will it reform and serve the people, or will it continue its descent into lawlessness and corruption? Either way, the truth will not be buried.

The time of impunity is over, and Nigerians are watching.

Ademola Kizito writes from Abuja

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