The Nation Newspaper

Tag: drug

  • More women arrested for drug-related crimes

    More women arrested for drug-related crimes

    The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has revealed that 11 percent of global opiate users live in Africa, with more than half from  West and central Africa.
    The body revealed this on Thursday while launching 2016 annual report of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) report and precursors report in Lagos.
    The INCB report has it that the number of women arrested for drug-related crimes has increased significantly.
    The Project Officer, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Ms Harsheth Virk said the reason for the development  is because once imprisoned, drug use is more prevalent among female prisoners than male prisoners.
    “There is a strong link between sex work and drug use. Some women turn to sex work as a means to support a drug dependent lifestyle,  while sex workers may use drugs to cope with the demands and nature of their work.
    Giving further insight into the report, Ms Virk said there is an increased involvement of African nationals reported in drug trafficking incidents worldwide, adding that  “West Africa has been increasingly affected by criminal operations that involve not only trafficking of cocaine from South America to Europe but also distribution for local abuse and illicit manufacture of synthetic drugs destined mainly for markets in Asia.”
    “According to the UNODC 11 percent of global opiate users live in Africa and more than half of these live in West Africa and Central Africa. Opiates originating from Afghanistan are increasingly being trafficked to East and West Africa, either for local consumption or onward shipment.
    NAFDAC Acting Director general (GD), Mrs Yetunde Oni represented by the Director Narcotic and Controlled Substance Directorate, Dr Umar Musa said the agency is trying its best in ensuring the availability of controlled substances for medical and scientific purposes, while also preventing their diversion.
    “This is achieved routinely through the issuance of the necessary papers. The Agency has carried out a number of education and awareness campaigns to discourage initial use and strengthen resistance against drug abuse. We have also published a Drug Abuse Handbook to adequately inform the public about the dangers of drug misuse and abuse,” said Mrs Oni.
  • ‘Lack of centre hinders drug addicts’ rehabilitation’

    ‘Lack of centre hinders drug addicts’ rehabilitation’

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has appealed to Cross River State government to build a rehabilitation centre for illicit drug users.

    Commander Mrs. Anthonia Edeh told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

    in Calabar that non-availability of a rehabilitation centre made it difficult for the agency to counsel and rehabilitate drug addicts.

    “It is unfortunate Cross River has no rehabilitation centre where we can rehabilitate drug addicts.

    “We appeal to the government to establish one. There must be a rehabilitation centre in Cross River. It is very important,’’ she said.

    Edeh said due to lack of a rehabilitation centre, the agency referred drug addicts to the Psychiatric Hospital, Calabar, after counselling.

    Said she: “One problem with this is that because of the nature of psychiatric hospitals, people regard these people as mad. This scares parents, who prefer returning them home.

    “Our job is not complete until a rehabilitation is carried out.’’

    The commander said the government had yet to play any significant role in the fight against drug abuse, adding that it regarded drug abuse as a personal issue.

    “This is very unfortunate,’’ she said.

    Edeh urged the government to assist the agency in providing utility vehicles to ease operations.

    She said drug abuse had reduced due to the agency’s efforts.

  • Nurse docked for drugging, raping patient

    For allegedly drugging and raping a 19-year-old girl, a 27-year-old male nurse, Olugbenga Isaac, was on Tuesday arraigned in an Ikeja Magistrates’ court in Lagos.

    Isaac, a resident of Ajah area of Lagos is being tried for rape.

    The prosecutor, Insp. Clifford Ogu, told the court that the accused committed the offence on Sept.15 at Onipanu, Lagos.

    He said that the accused unlawfully had sexual intercourse with the 19-year-old girl.

    “The accused had sexual intercourse with a woman without her consent,” he said.

    Ogu said that the complainant was sick and called the defendant, a nurse, to treat her.

    “The complainant had toothache, she called the nurse to administer drugs on her, instead the accused injected her with some substance suspected to be sleeping injection.

    “The complainant slept off and the accused raped her and left.

    “The complainant regained consciousness after several hours and was bleeding from her private part, it was dawned on her that she had been raped,” he said.

    The offence, Ogu said, contravened Section 258 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    Section 258 provides that if convicted of the offence, the accused is liable to life imprisonment.

    The accused denied committing the offence, while the Magistrate, Mrs T. Akanni granted him bail in the sum of N200, 000 with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the case till Nov. 30 for mention.

  • NAFDAC seals shops, seize goods worth millions in Edo

    NAFDAC seals shops, seize goods worth millions in Edo

    The National Agency for Food, Drug, Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has sealed two shops and seize products worth millions of Naira, for the sale of counterfeited products in Benin City on Wednesday.

    The team of NAFDAC Officers and mobile policemen led by the Head of Taskforce on Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Process Foods, Mr. Ejiofor Kingsley stormed the popular Mission road in Oredo Local government of Edo State, to conduct inspection on assorted drinks, with many marketers scrambling to prove authenticity of their products to avoid arrest.

    The team conducted series of test on different wines and other assorted drinks, which eventually led to closure of two shops belonging to one Mrs Oluchi Peters and another unidentified.

    In a chat with journalists Mr Ejiofor said that NAFDAC as a law enforcement agency, owe it to the public to protect and preserve lives, disclosing that the number of fake goods in the market is on the increase.

    According to him “We believe we owe a duty to the nation and the society to save lives. The products we have seized today are all counterfeited products, they are products that people ingest and they kill.

    “We know what is going on in the society, the incidence of cancer is increasing and there is need for Government to do something about it, that is why we are here and appealing to all consumers to check products properly especially assorted drinks before purchasing them”.

    He also revealed that some dealers now mix chemicals and other substances to produce wines, noting that the agency is not out to destroy businesses of individuals, but to maintain sanity and evict fake products from the society.

    “We have instances where people mix all sought of concussion and even uses “formalin” chemical that is use in embalming corpses in these drinks, I mean we are talking about lives here, no amount of money is worth people’s life.

    He further said that the agency will commence investigation on the seized products before fate of the suspects will be disclosed, but however urged dealers in food, drinks, cosmetics, detergent and chemicals to register their products with the agency in order to ease detection of unwholesome products.

    Ejiofor however enjoined members of the public to support NAFDAC in the fight against counterfeited and fake products from the market, stating that it is a collective responsibility we all must uphold and encourage.

  • ‘We ’ll flush out drug cartels’

    Acting Director-General of Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) Dr. Paul Angya has  threatened to go after the cartel that specialises on distributing substandard goods.

    Angya spoke when the Benue Journalists Forum of Nigeria (BJFN) honoured him in Lagos with the Excellence and Dedication to Service Award in recognition of his efforts at reshaping the agency within six months of assuming office.

    He promised to live up to the mandate of the agency, promising to adopt measures that will curb the menace of the cartels.

    “They (cartels) try to compromise public officers through blackmails and threats,” he said, adding: “I have received such threats already. But we are prepared to fight back this time and stave off intimidation until we dislodge them.”

    The SON boss said the agency is  working on computerised codes which will require that all imported household products pass through compulsory checking by 2017.

    “We have mapped out our strategies to ensure that any unit of product, imported or locally produced, must be properly checked and sealed with a computerised code. Any unit that doesn’t carry a code is fake. Buyers will be able to verify through SMS to know if the unit has been checked or not. That’s the only way we will fight them, purely by being tactical as we strive to live up to our mandate, and not allowing any compromise.”

    He added that the agency, under his watch, will ensure that the Chinese authority signs agreement, which they have been dodging all the while, to check the standard of every product imported from China. Angya also said people selling household products will be identified and registered, to track their activities.

    Angya commended the Buhari led administration, saying the government is determined to fight corruption and he was positioned strategically to make that happen in SON.

  • Court dismisses drug vendors’ case against PCN

    The Federal High Court, Akure, has dismissed the suit  by the Nigeria Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers (NAPPMED) against the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), saying it lacks merit.

    Delivering judgment in Akure, the Ondo State capital in the suit no: FHC/AK/CS/01/2004, which sought to stop the PCN from regulating members of NAPPMED, Justice F. A. Olubanjo refused to grant the NAPPMED’s prayers.

    Justice Olubanjo said: “I find no merit in this amended originating summons and the reliefs sought therein are refused. The amended originating summons filed on 11/03/15 is dismissed.”

    Relying on an earlier ruling of 1996 by Justice Ibrahim Auta in suit no: FHC/L/CS/28/95, the plaintiffs sought perpetual injunction that, restraining the defendants from further issuing or reverting the authority to issue the PPMVL in the absence of an amendment to the enabling laws, an injunction that, if not given, the plaintiffs said, would affect the rights of the patent and proprietary medicine vendors as well as their source of livelihood.

    The court observed that the Pharmacy Act on which  suit no: FHC/L/CS/28/95 was predicated had been repealed since 1992 by the PCN Act and as such the decision of the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court on it had been overtaken by events.

    The court further held that the PCN Act 1992 empowers the second Defendant (PCN) to regulate the affairs and functions of pharmacy  and matters related to the pharmacists, profession.

    “The Federal Minister of Health has the power to make regulations under section 53 of the Pharmacy Act, and has appointed the PCN as the Licensing Authority to issue Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors Licence in Nigeria, vide a letter dated April 14, 2003.’’

    Justice Olubanjo affirmed that by section 36 of the Poisons and Pharmacy Act Cap 535 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990, the Minister of Health has the power to prescribe the second Defendant (PCN) as the licensing authority for the issuance of PPMVL.

    “Thus the 2nd Defendant (PCN) is competent to issue and publish guidelines for obtaining the Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors License”, the judge ruled.

    The plaintiffs, NAPPMED and Otunba F. E. Olatunji, sued the Minister of Health, PCN and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), seeking to stop the PCN from publishing any guideline, rule or condition on the procedure for obtaining the Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors License (PPMVL) as contained in the publication of The Punch of December 31, 2003.

    The judge observed that the plaintiffs have only succeeded in wasting the court’s time, hoping that they would desist from filing multiple actions on the matter.

    With its ruling, the judge laid to rest the issue of who regulates patent and proprietary medicine vendors which the NAPPMED   contested at the Federal High Courts in Kaduna, Ibadan, Benin and Asaba against the PCN.

  • Court dismisses drug vendors’ case against Pcn

    The Federal High Court, Akure, has dismissed the suit  by the Nigeria Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers (NAPPMED) against the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), saying it lacks merit.

    Delivering judgment in Akure, the Ondo State capital in the suit no: FHC/AK/CS/01/2004, which sought to stop the PCN from regulating members of NAPPMED, Justice F. A. Olubanjo refused to grant the NAPPMED’s prayers.

    Justice Olubanjo said: “I find no merit in this amended originating summons and the reliefs sought therein are refused. The amended originating summons filed on 11/03/15 is dismissed.”

    Relying on an earlier ruling of 1996 by Justice Ibrahim Auta in suit no: FHC/L/CS/28/95, the plaintiffs sought perpetual injunction that, restraining the defendants from further issuing or reverting the authority to issue the PPMVL in the absence of an amendment to the enabling laws, an injunction that, if not given, the plaintiffs said, would affect the rights of the patent and proprietary medicine vendors as well as their source of livelihood.

    The court observed that the Pharmacy Act on which  suit no: FHC/L/CS/28/95 was predicated had been repealed since 1992 by the PCN Act and as such the decision of the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court on it had been overtaken by events.

    The court further held that the PCN Act 1992 empowers the second Defendant (PCN) to regulate the affairs and functions of pharmacy  and matters related to the pharmacists, profession.

    “The Federal Minister of Health has the power to make regulations under section 53 of the Pharmacy Act, and has appointed the PCN as the Licensing Authority to issue Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors Licence in Nigeria, vide a letter dated April 14, 2003.’’

    Justice Olubanjo affirmed that by section 36 of the Poisons and Pharmacy Act Cap 535 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990, the Minister of Health has the power to prescribe the second Defendant (PCN) as the licensing authority for the issuance of PPMVL.

    “Thus the 2nd Defendant (PCN) is competent to issue and publish guidelines for obtaining the Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors License”, the judge ruled.

    The plaintiffs, NAPPMED and Otunba F. E. Olatunji, sued the Minister of Health, PCN and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), seeking to stop the PCN from publishing any guideline, rule or condition on the procedure for obtaining the Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors License (PPMVL) as contained in the publication of The Punch of December 31, 2003.

    The judge observed that the plaintiffs have only succeeded in wasting the court’s time, hoping that they would desist from filing multiple actions on the matter.

    With its ruling, the judge laid to rest the issue of who regulates patent and proprietary medicine vendors which the NAPPMED   contested at the Federal High Courts in Kaduna, Ibadan, Benin and Asaba against the PCN.

  • NDLEA arrests 66 drug suspects in Ondo

    NDLEA arrests 66 drug suspects in Ondo

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Ondo State at the weekend said it had arrested no fewer than 66 drug offenders in the state between January and May this year.

    State Commander Mr. Mohammed Malami Sokoto spoke at a news conference on the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking held in Akure, the state capital. The event was themed “Just Listen”.

    Sokoto said those arrested were 55 males and 11 females. He added that 22 of the suspects had been charged to court and convicted to various jail terms.

    He said the agency had seized Cannabis sativa weighing 1,348.62kgs within the period under review.

    The NDLEA boss, who noted that there was a reduction in the demand for drugs, said 23 persons were under counseling and seven had been rehabilitated.

    He hinted that the agency destroyed 36.7tons of cannabis at a farm land.

  • Stakeholders call for drug security, self-sufficiency

    Operators in the health sector have gathered in Abuja to discuss how to access quality healthcare.

    They said access to quality healthcare is a major challenge in the country.

    The forum organised by the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMGMAN), was attended by lawmakers, who were represented by the chairmen of some key committees of the Senate, policymakers from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as well as other players in health policy, research, industry and manufacturing.

    The forum presented an opportunity for lawmakers and civil servants to exchange ideas with manufacturers to improve access to drugs.

    Senate Committee on Industry Chairman Senator Sam Egwu said the theme of the forum, “Medicines’ security and national self-sufficiency: maximising medicines’ production capacity in Nigeria” was apt.

    PMGMAN Chairman Mr Okey Akpa berated the lack of an appropriate policy to ensure national security on health.

    According to him, the country remains at risk of drug insecurity.

    He referred to lessons from the Ebola crisis which made it obligatory for the country to develop strategies to ensure it becomes self-sufficient in medicines.

    Besides, he said there was the need to develop a comprehensive and far-reaching medicines’ security policy which would ensure a robust engagement with medicine security issues.

    He said to intimate the legislature and various MDAs on barriers and limitations encountered in pharmaceutical manufacturing.

    He called on the legislature and other key stakeholders to facilitate enabling environments for maximising manufacturing capacity for medicines in Nigeria.

    The Senate Committee chairmen congratulated the PMG-MAN members for getting the World Health Organisation Good Manufacturing practice (GMP) certification, adding that their achievement placed Nigeria among the countries whose local drug industries manufacture at the highest international standards.

    This step, he said, had been identified as a major precursor for the attainment of self–sufficiency, reduction of medical tourism and commencement of substantial exportation of pharmaceutical products to other countries.

    The Chairman, Senate Committee on Primary Health praised the Group for holding the forte in contributing to the nation’s access to  quality medicines. This was despite the unfavourable local and international environment that had impacted businesses in the industry.

    On self-sufficiency, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa agreed  that the issue was vital.

    He said ignoring self-sufficiency as regards medicines will be perilous to the country, adding that the issue was beyond healthcare as it impinged on national security.

  • Firm introduces drug for stress reduction

    Klat Pharmaceuticals has launched a new herbal drug Ginklat, in Abuja to reduce high stress rate.

    It said the drug eliminates physical and mental stress.

    “It also boosts erection in men. That’s why it is tagged super magic vitamin,” he said.

    Its Managing Director/ CEO Emmanuel Olouha, said the decision to introduce the Ginklat capsule into the market stems from the need to solve stress related issues that affects the people. “The aim of introducing the Ginklat capsule into the Nigerian market stems from the need to solve teeming stress- related issues . The super combo effect of this drug makes it a premium capsule”, he said.

    He continued: “The secret combination of Ginseng, Vitamin E and Zinc Sulphate makes the Ginklat capsule to work like magic. It restores energy, reinvigorate erection for a satisfactory sexual performance in men, renews stamina, serves as anti-oxidant and relieves your whole body”.

    “The components of Ginklat are Ginseng, Zinc, and Vitamin E. Ginseng helps to stimulate physical and mental activities among people who are weak and tired. It improves thinking ability and cognition, and has anti-inflammatory effects. Zinc, present in the drug, supports Male and female reproductive health and fertility, improves Athletic performance and strength, boost human immune system and prevent cancer, improves cardiovascular health, sleep, cognition and energy level, prevents Diabetics and more sensitive to insulin. Zinc is a super antioxidant, it promotes brain health, and elevates mood while avoiding depression. On its part, the Vitamin E, which is one of the components of the drug, protects against toxins such as air pollution, premenstrual syndrome, eye disorder, and the likes. It improves immunity level, reduces cholesterol, reduces anti-age agent, and prevents heart diseases, diabetes, cataracts and cancer (lungs, prostrate and pancreatic)”.