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Tag: Fake drugs

  • Gaidam, Nafdac to fight fake drugs

    The war against fake drugs has   received a boost in Yobe State, with Governor Ibrahim Gaidam directing the  Commissioner for Land to provide land for the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to build its offices.

    He asked the Head of Service to provide office accommodation for the agency in the two senatorial districts to reduce the logistic challenges  facing NAFDAC.

    Gaidam, who promised to provide a vehicle to the agency to assist it in patrolling the state, said the donations were in demonstration of  the government’s commitment to assisting NAFDAC to rid the state  of drug misuse and poor handling of pesticides and agro-chemicals.

    He made the donations during a visit by the NAFDAC’s Acting Director-General, Mrs. Yetunde Oni, in his office.

    Mrs Oni was on the visit to inform the governor of the agency’s campaign on “Rational use of controlled medicines, safe handling of chemicals and responsible use of pesticides and agricultural chemicals” in the state.

    The campaign, Mrs Oni said, would empower people with the right knowledge in drug misuse and proper handling of agro-chemicals.

    While declaring the sensitisation workshop open, Gaidam described the initiative as a bold step by the NAFDAC to enlighten the public about the dangers of irrational use of drugs, pesticides and chemicals.

    He said: “This way, the public will be kept abreast of the unpleasant consequences for society if left unchecked.”

    Earlier, Mrs.  Oni, who presented the requests for land and accommodation to the governor, said the NAFDAC’s office, a warehouse and a laboratory complex would be built on the land, adding that they would enhance the performance of the agency in the state via shortening the registration and bringing the agency closer to the grassroots.

    Mrs. Oni said the enlightenment was one of the strategies deployed by NAFDAC to fight substandard and falsified medical products, unwholesome and spurious regulated products.

    “We will continue to sensitise the public on the public health implications of these substandard, falsified and unwholesome regulated products and the efforts of NAFDAC in tackling this ugly menace,” she said.

    She added that collaboration was essential to building sustainable strategies against these problems in addition to other challenges, such as drug abuse as well as misapplication of pesticides and herbicides, which have led to the rejection of these value-added agricultural products in the international market.

    According to her, the health implication caused by this challenge informed the efforts of NAFDAC to educate farmers, herders and other handlers on the appropriate and safe use of pesticides, and develop Guidelines and Standard Operating  Procedure for Chemical Regulation and Control to address emerging issues.

    She added: “Risk assessment and Field Trials of fertiliser have been introduced for effective control and management of agrochemicals.”

    Mrs. Oni implored Nigerians to continue to support NAFDAC in the fight against the proliferation of substandard and falsified medical products, unwholesome food and other substandard or spurious regulated products.

  • ‘How to win war against fake drugs’

    ‘How to win war against fake drugs’

    How can the battle against fake and substandard products be won? With the support of all, says Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) Director-General, Osita Aboloma. In this interview with Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie, he argues that standardisation and quality assurance are critical to economic prosperity.

    What is the percentage of substandard products imported into the country?

    That question is a bit difficult to answer since we do not have data on total imports. We can only speak for those that we participate in the examination at the sea ports and land borders. As for products in the market from our surveillance activities, we can say five out of every 10 products or 50 per cent that is entering the country.

    SON is equipped more than ever to fight the menace especially with the implementation of SON Act 14, 2015 which empowers us to prosecute any offender.  We are in the 36 states of the federation including Abuja. There are over 41 life threatening items that are in the prohibition list which we have the mandate to seize where ever they are found within 24 hours

    How far can the Act go in tackling fake products menace?

    The Act  is one of the good things that have happened to the agency. It gave us powers to deal with sub-standardisation and counterfeiting of goods imported or manufactured locally. It empowers us to prosecute offenders within 24 hours of apprehending them. I must tell Nigerians that we have been taking advantage of this law to sanitise the nation and ensure that unwholesome goods and products are not found in the country. Our mandate is to safeguard the lives of the citizens and ensure that products coming into the country meet the nation’s minimum acceptable standards.

    The Act also enables us to stop further distribution of unwholesome products by giving us the mandate to inspect warehouses, shops, houses where we suspect that substandard goods may have been hidden or stored and confiscate them.

    Furthermore, our new Act No. 14 of 2015 has enabled us to initiate prosecution on infractions related to substandard products importation, storage and distribution. Penalties are relative to the offences unlike in the past when cases drag in the law courts and offenders revel in the illegal business of importing or manufacturing fake and counterfeit goods. It is now common knowledge that we no longer bark but bite.

    What is the relationship between standardisation and the nation’s economic prosperity?

    There cannot be economic prosperity without standardisation and quality assurance. It saves cost, ensures value for money, promotes repeated purchase thus increasing capacity utilisation and creating employment. Standardisation ensures market confidence for the manufacturer, importer and consumers.

    What is SON doing about the high level of imported fake and substandard products such as tyres, cables and steel?

    We are constantly retooling our off-shore Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP) to checkmate imported substandard products. Our state offices are out daily to do market surveillance, while our enforcement teams are on alert for information to act 24/7. At the moment we have a task force on steel monitoring going round the nation to assure the quality of local production. There’s a marking scheme for both locally manufactured and imported steel products for traceability. This enables us to trace any steel product in the market just in case there is failure in construction or anything related to it. The company that has its name on any product that fails  will be made to answer questions; it also heighten producers interest to ensure they produce quality products and monitor it too in the market place.

    What impact will SON’s presence at the ports have on the economy?

    The impact will be huge as we will in collaboration with sister agencies stop the influx of substandard products at entry points. Under the new Executive Order by the Presidency, the one-stop-shop for goods clearance will positively impact the economy by preventing unfair competition occasioned by substandard products.

    It has been observed that most locally manufactured products are not into the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) scheme. What is SON doing about this?

    We are daily on the road through our state offices locating new factories and product outlets to bring them under the MANCAP scheme. We are also working with Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) groups such as the National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME) and National Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI). We are actively involved in the ongoing nationwide SME Clinics being coordinated by the Office of the Vice President. We are determined to encourage the growth of Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) especially those that are not in the MANCAP and are yet to bring their product up to the Nigeria Industrial Standard (NIS).

    The programme is tailored towards their size of business where they are given reasonable rates to enable them go through the process of standardising their products while they are also granted waivers in vehicle importation to mechanise their production processes.

    Can consumers get refund for the purchase of poorly manufactured and fake products?

    We have a consumer complaints  desk in all our state offices coordinated from our operational headquarters in Lagos. We have just recently commenced capacity building in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). We assist consumers get redress when they complain to us. We advise that consumers obtain receipts for purchases and take the trouble to complain. Depending on the situation, we insist on remedy, change or outright replacement of the offending product.

    We are strengthening our internal mechanisms to combat substandard products head on . I urge  all Nigerians to join hands with SON in order to create greater opportunities for genuine and certified locally manufactured products to thrive.

    How can ADR curb the  influx of fake and sub-standard goods?

    ADR will help in saving costs and mitigating the suspension of economic activities that may arise from enforcing our statutory regulatory functions against importers of sub-standard goods to the country. Although the general provisions in the new SON Act empowered the agency to prosecute perpetrators of substandard products manufacture, importation and distribution while also providing stiffer penalties for convictions including jail terms. We are thinking in the direction of exploring ADR measures at resolving conflicts without wasting resources or stalling economic activities.

    We have empowered our personnel by organising training to empower them with skills to handle conflicts that may arise from complaints handling, market survey and stakeholder engagement.

    The move became necessary in order to enhance service delivery by the agency as well as enhance stakeholders’ adoption and compliance to stipulated standards. Communication is key in mediation and reconciliation if goals will be achieved.

    We are committed to protecting the lives and properties of Nigerians as well as the economy using the instruments of standardisation and quality assurance.

    We realised that a lot of civil cases in the courts linger for too long because a party has chosen to uphold its ego when such cases could have been addressed using alternative measures.

    ADR provides relief to frustration litigant’s face when resolving civil disputes using traditional methods. It helps to address delay, prohibitive costs, case congestion, restrictive single option, unsatisfactory determination of cases, ruined relationships and reduction in foreign investments.

    Have you secured conviction of any fake and substandard goods importer?

    Not recently but we are prosecuting over 10 infractions in Lagos, Akure and Awka and we’ll see that justice is done. Those are in addition to seizures of the substandard products and possible destruction if they cannot be rectified.  The Attorney General of the Federation,  Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN) in support of our activities, has deployed four senior lawyers to help in building up our legal team. Besides, our new Act provides for stiffer penalties in relation to the volume of substandard products discovered including jail term.

    What is your relationship with other agencies in the fight against fake and substandard goods?

    We have a very robust collaboration with sister regulatory and security agencies. Recent seizures of stuffed tyres were a result of collaboration in addition to the seizure of substandard cables and the discovery of several flats in Lagos filled with expired products. The collaboration with sister agencies has added fillip to the success of our operations across the nation.

    What is the scope of SON’s surveillance of the states and markets nationwide?

    Market surveillance is a key activity of every state office on which they make reports monthly. When we identify a counterfeit product we do market intelligence to isolate it and prosecute the importer or manufacturer.

    What are the standards you have for products and how do you arrive at the standards?

    The Nigeria Industrial Standard (NIS) is the benchmark for quality of products and services in Nigeria like BSI standards in UK and ANSI in America.  Standards are consensus documents on minimum requirements agreed by stakeholders and interested parties at technical committee meetings. The agreed drafts are then approved by the Standards Council for use as National Standards. SON only acts as secretariat.

    These standards are products of the global village now. The Codex standards on Garri was originally developed in Nigeria and adopted for the world. Conversely, NIS includes adopted and adapted standards from other nations and international standardisation bodies such as the International Standards Organisation (ISO).

    Do we have Nigerian standards?

    Yes, we have NIS which is not independent of international standards. We have thousands of standards for every product imaginable. This is done with active participation of the relevant stakeholders. Standardisation include weight and measures.

    In terms of surveillance and compliance, what are your achievements?

    We have made tremendous achievements, particularly with regard to stakeholders support through classified information. Another pillar is the  SON Act that has widened our regulatory and prosecutorial powers

    It is beleived that the destruction of imported fake and sub standard goods is the destruction of the nation’s commonwealth. What is your take on this?

    We destroy substandard products only when they cannot be rectified or are dangers to lives and property. Destruction is the least alternative as far we are concerned because we know that the monies used to either manufacture or import them could have been put into good use. But even at that, we cannot mortgage the lives of our citizens. We must realise that substan-dardisation is a clear and present danger.

     What level of support have you received from the government in the area of advocacy?

    Government is already doing that through the new Act of 2015, and through annual appropriation and support from sister regulatory and security agencies. What we require is other stakeholders support through information and collaboration. If you see something, say something, that is all we ask from the public.

     What are you doing in terms of staff training to get them up to speed with latest technology and standards?

    The government is already doing that with a new Act that gives us broader powers to fight the menace of substandard products. The Federal Government is also supporting the fight against fake and substandard products with yearly appropriation and other logistics support such as security and intelligence. The area that needs significant improvement is the support of other stakeholders and the consuming public in general. If you see something unwholesome, say something to SON. We need all Nigerians as quality vanguards to win the war against the menace of substandard products in Nigeria.

     

     

  • Customs seizes N252m fake drugs

    Customs seizes N252m fake drugs

    •Ali begs agents to shelve strike

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has impounded 5,056 cartons of imported fake drugs.

    They were intercepted at Idiroko border, Sango-Otta axis and Lagos/Ibadan Expressway by operatives of Federal Operation Unit (FOU),  Zone ‘A’  Ikeja, Lagos.

    Addressing reporters at the Federal Government Warehouse in Lagos yesterday, Customs Comptroller-General Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) said the items did not have National Agency for Food Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC) number.

    The fake drugs, he said, had a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N252.6 million.

    The DPV excluded the drugs market value that runs into several millions of naira.

    Majority of the items, Ali said, were brought in from China and India by some unscrupulous importers who are now at large.

    Some of the items included REALLY EXTRA “with effective relieve from pain and fever” inscribed on its cartons; Tramadol Hydrochloride Tablet (Royal) of 225mg and Tramadol Caps of 120mg each.

    The Customs boss said the drugs were impounded because they fall under the import prohibition list.

    “These are dangerous drugs which mostly our youths take as a way of relieving their stress. They are not drugs meant for consumption. They are completely under prohibition yet these things still find their way into the country. The drugs reduce youths to nothing and anybody who keeps taking these drugs will not be useful to himself and the society,” he said.

    Ali added: “We are profiling those involved in the importation of these drugs and the law will take its course. I can’t imagine that a Nigerian for the sake of money decided to bring this type of drugs into the country.

    “When people say Customs is disturbing us on the road, we cannot but do what we are doing. We need to have the three layers of defence in order to accost this type of thing. Otherwise, if we limit it to only the port or the borders, a lot of these things will find their way into the country. We are not deliberately harassing people but we are trying to secure and protect the society which is part of our mandate to make sure that everyone is protected. I also agree that our officers are compromising otherwise these things will not find their way here. We have to put these layers of defence because of the compromise of our officers. If you compromise the first layer, you will not be able to compromise the second layer or third layer. This is what we will continue to do until Nigerians begin to realise that things like this are inimical to our own progress and health and dangerous to our economy.”

    Some people, he said, have been arrested over the matter, while efforts are on to get the fleeing importers and the officers who helped them.

    One of the trucks used in conveying the drugs is marked AW 265 XJ.

    Also yesterday, Ali appealed to the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) to shelve its proposed strike.

    During a visit to the association’s national secretariat in Lagos, Ali said the agent’s challenges were not unknown to the government, stating that the Buhari administration is working to address the problems.

    “I want to appeal to you as the Customs CG to please exercise some patience on your strike notice, I can assure you that with this new synergy, the challenges will be tackled; we will do something” he said.

    He urged the agents to be his “eyes and ears” in the industry, stressing that the Customs and the agents are partners in progress.

    ANLCA National President Prince Olayiwola Shittu said the challenges of quick cargo clearance at the ports included multiplicity of alerts, FOU interception of cargoes, and non-uniformity in vehicles’ values.

    He deplored the multiplicity of check points along border stations and clearance desks at the ports, which, according to him, frustrate “genuine importers.”

    Shittu urged Customs to embrace paperless transactions (single window platform) to facilitate trade and reduce corruption.

     

  • Customs seizes 5,056 cartons of fake drugs in Lagos

    Customs seizes 5,056 cartons of fake drugs in Lagos

    …Ali urges agents to shelve proposed strike

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has impounded truckloads of 5,056 cartons of fake drugs imported into the country by some scrupulous importers.

    The fake items were intercepted at Idiroko border, Sango Otta axis and Lagos/ Ibadan expressway by the officers and men of the Federal Operation Unit (FOU) ,  Zone ‘A’  Ikeja, Lagos.

    Addressing reporters at Federal Government warehouse in Lagos yesterday, its Comptroller-General Col. Hameed Ali said the seized items were inimical to the health of the country because they do not have official NAFDAC number

    The fake drugs, the CGC said, has a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N252.6 million.

    The DPV excluded the market value of the drugs that runs into several millions of naira.

    Majority of the fake items, Ali said, were imported from China and India by the scrupulous importers who are at large.

    Some of the seized items included REALLY EXTRA with effective relieve from pain and fever inscribed on its cartoons; Tramadol Hydrochloride Tablet (Royal) of 225mg and Tramadol Caps of 120mg each.

    The Customs boss said that the drugs which came in various milligrams and different packages were impounded because they fall under the import prohibition list.

    “These are dangerous drugs which mostly our youths take as a way of relieving their stress. They are not drugs meant for consumption. They are completely under prohibition yet these things still find their way into the country. The drugs reduce youths to nothing and anybody who keeps taking these drugs will not be useful to himself and the society,” he said.

    Ali expressed concern at the spate of smuggling of unregistered drugs and other contraband goods in to the country despite severe consequences for offenders.

    “We are profiling those involve in the importation of this drugs and the law will take its course. I can’t imagine that a Nigerian for the sake of money decide to bring this type of drug into the country.
    “When people say Customs is disturbing us on the road, we cannot but do what we are doing. We need to have the three layers of defence in order to accost this type of thing. Otherwise, if we limit it to only the port or the borders, a lot of these things we find their way in to the country.
    “We are not deliberately harassing people but we are trying to secure and protect the society which is one our mandate to make sure that everyone is protected .

    “I also agree that our officers are compromising otherwise this things will not find their way here. So it is realization of this compromise of our officers that will have to put layers of defence. If you compromise the first layer, you will not be able to compromise the second layer or third layer. This is what we will continue to do until Nigerians begin to realise that things like this are inimical to our own progress and health and dangerous to our economy,” he said.

    He said while some suspects have been arrested, investigation is ongoing to bring to book others involve including officers in the importation of the drugs.

    Ali, therefore, calls on the media and Nigerians to provide the Service with useful information that will help nip smuggling of prohibited drugs and other contraband in the bud.

    One of the drug laden trucks intercepted by Customs has AW 265 XJ as its registration number.

    In a related development, Col Ali  has also appealed to the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) to shelve its proposed strike.
    Ali made the appeal when he visited the national secretariat of the group in Lagos, yesterday.

    ANALCA had issued a 21 day strike notice to the Federal Government  over extortion of its members at the ports.

    Col  Ali however, assured the group that the challenges facing the clearing agents are not unknown to the government and that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration is working round the lock to address the problems.

    The Customs boss, who arrived at the ANLCA secretariat to kick-start his meeting with freight forwarding associations also appealed to the association to shelve the 21 days strike notice which it had issued last week to the Federal government, over extortion of its members at the port.

    He assured that the customs is working on addressing the challenges raised by the agents even as he assured that the decisions would be appreciated by President Muhammadu Buhari.
    “I want to appeal to you as the Customs CG and the Buhari administration  to please exercise some patience on your strike notice, I can assure you that with this new synergy, the challenges will be tackled, we would do something” he said.

    Col Ali also urged the agents to be his “eyes and ears” in the industry, stressing that the Customs and the agents are partners in progress.

    In his speech, the National President of ANLCA; Prince Olayiwola Shittu pointed out  the challenges militating against quick cargo clearance at the port.

    The challenges, according to him, include: multiplicity of alerts, FOU interception of cargoes, the need for uniformed value on vehicles and challenges associated with ETLS cargoes among others.

    He lamented the multiplicity of check points along the border stations and clearance desks mounted at the ports by Customs officers to frustrate genuine importers from doing their jobs as required by law.

    Shittu therefore, urged Customs to embrace paperless transactions (single window platform) as it is done in other clime to facilitate trade and reduce corruption.

  • NAFDAC destroys N9.6b fake drugs in Rivers

    NAFDAC destroys N9.6b fake drugs in Rivers

    The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) yesterday destroyed 11 containers of imported fake drugs worth N9.617 billion in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

    The products, imported from India and China, were impounded by men of the Nigeria Customs Service at Onne Wharf.

    Health Minister Prof. Isaac Adewole supervised the destruction.

    He said the drugs were essential for treatment of ailments, but regretted that the chemical concentration of some of them was very high for the recommended concentration in a regulated market.

    Adewole attributed the situation to poor health system, stressing that if the health system was credible, accessible and affordable, Nigerians will not patronise quack medicine shops.

    His words: “Nothing destroys this nation more than the importation and distribution of bad products. Some of them have NAFDAC numbers, but are fake.

    “We are serious about this war against corruption. These are products Nigerians need. They are pain killers, but are fake.”

    The minister warned against self-medication.

    He urged medical agencies/parastatals and security agencies to collaborate on the war against counterfeit drugs.

    Adewole said: “It is a war that must be waged until criminals become tired of importing fake drugs.”

    NAFDAC’s Acting Director-General Mrs. Yetunde Oni said 10 containers loaded with fake bread enhancers were impounded.

    She assured people that the agency will not relent in its struggle of ridding the country of unwholesome products.

    The minister inaugurated NAFDAC’s secretariat.

    He said it would improve workers’ productivity and promised to replicate it in other states.

  • NAFDAC solicits support of traditional rulers on fight against fake drugs

    NAFDAC solicits support of traditional rulers on fight against fake drugs

    The Acting Director-General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Mrs. Yetunde Oluremi Oni, has pleaded with traditional rulers in the country to assist the agency to win the battle against the menace of fake drugs in the country.

    Speaking at the palace of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi in Ile-Ife during the conferment of the monarch as NAFDAC ambassador, the NAFDAC boss urged the traditional rulers to help the agency by prohibiting fake and counterfeit drugs, unwholesome processed foods and other substandard regulated products in their respective domains.

    The Acting DG of NAFDAC paid a visit to the palace of Ooni along with the management team of the agency and the coordinators of NAFDAC in Oyo,

    Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Ekiti and addressed over 50 traditional rulers in Osun State who converged for their monthly meeting.

    According to her, “we are here to solicit your support in our fight against fake and counterfeit drugs and other regulated products.

    NAFDAC is aware that the fight against counterfeit medicines is by no means an easy task and based on mounting evidence, we alone cannot address the growing nature and scope of the problem and the growing expertise and sophistication of those that produce and market them”.

    “Fake and counterfeit medicines have “No border” and have escalated.

    Effective collaboration and cooperation is essential to build effective strategies. In view of this we have come to you as a Royal Father of the people, for partnership to put in place proper coordination mechanism to involve all parties that have a role to play to combat them”.

    The acting DG had earlier visited the State Governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola to also solicit for support of the state government for NAFDAC to be able to operate effectively.

    She explained that her advocacy visit to Osun became necessary as part of strategies to fine-tune a robust synergy between the agency and

    Osun State government.

    Oni noted that the obligation of NAFDAC to prevent the proliferation of counterfeit medical products and unwholesome processed foods,

    including other substandard regulated products remained statutory.

    Oni promised that she would ensure sustainable efforts to curtail the menace of fake drugs.

    Governor Aregbesola who was represented by his Deputy, Mrs Titilayo Laoye Tomori commended NAFDAC for the conscious efforts by the agency

    to ensure the safety of the citizenry.

  • Faking drugs should attract death sentence – Expert

    Those  found to be guilty of producing and selling fake drugs should be given a death sentence, a clinical expert and President of the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists, Prof Fola Tayo has said.

    He said this is why Nigerian health indices are very poor and the healthcare manufacturing sector of the country is not thriving and capacity utilisation in the industry is low at 40 percent.

    Prof Tayo, who is also the Pro-Chancellor for Caleb University spoke in Lagos at a Colloquium organised in celebration of the 80th birthday of the Chairman of Bond Chemicals Industries, Chief Theophilus Omotosho in Lagos.

    He said the pharmaceutical industry is worth 200 billion dollars, the reason why government should ban the importation of luxury drugs that have the capacity to be produced in the country. This, he said is necessary since Nigerians consume a large amount of medicines on a daily basis.

    While faulting measures that have made the manufacturing of such drugs in Nigeria, he added that high interest rates imposed on producers; a lack of pragmatic implementation of policies and lack of moratorium have caused manufacturers slow pace of production. Also, NAFDAC numbers have been bastardised.

    He said: “the manufacturing industry should be seen as a pivot to take Nigeria to greatness, by producing medicines such as anti-malaria in large quantity will yield immense returns to government. In terms of law and practice of Pharmacy, Nigeria ranks the highest, yet, compliance is zero.”

    The pharmacist prided in the many Nigerian prequalified pharmacists who have become World Health Organisation (WHO) certified and able to bid national and international tenders, and called on the reorganisation of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to be seen as a vibrant supervisory agency.

    Chairman of Sickle Cell Foundation, Prof Olu Akinyanju, who spoke on: Fighting Sickle Cell Disease-Innovation and Philanthropy Perspectives thanked Bond Chemicals for producing Oxyurea Capsules, which reduces crisis in Sickle Cell patients from three to four annually to one.

    While urging Nigerians not to shy away from marrying sickle cell carriers, he described the Centre in Idi-Araba, Lagos as an African pride and the best in the country, adding that it is looking into setting up a Bone Marrow Transplant Centre in Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), to help carriers produce AA blood type and reduce the number of people who travel abroad for such treatment, a project which will cost N300million.

  • Woman jailed seven years for fake drugs sale

    Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday sentenced a 35-year old woman, Clara Onah, to seven years in prison for selling fake drugs.

    Onah, from Enugu State, was charged to court by the National Agency for Food, Drugs, Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

    A Microbiology graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Onah resides at No 12, Mosalashi Street, Alagbado in Lagos.

    She pleaded guilty to a five-count charge of possession and sale of fake drugs following her arraignment on February 15.

    The prosecutor, Mr Shamaki Umar, told the court that the accused sold fake brand of 200 mg of Amazon Amagyl Metronidazole tablets.

    When the case resumed yesterday, Umar presented the laboratory analysis of the confiscated drugs which showed that they were fake and contained 20 rather than 200 milligrams.

    The convict’s counsel, Mr Chinedu Moore, in his allocutus, pleaded for leniency and urged the court to temper justice with mercy. He submitted that his client was a first time offender who did not have the intent to manufacture or sell fake drugs.

    Amid sobs, Onah also pleaded for mercy, saying she didn’t know the drugs were fake.

    But the prosecutor urged the court to impose the maximum sentence, saying, “When she was asked to show the operatives of NAFDAC where the drugs were being manufactured, she took them to an unknown address that does not exist. When they eventually traced her residence, they discovered items she used in manufacturing the drugs such as weighing scales and labels.

    “With all intent and purpose my lord, she was manufacturing them herself. Therefore, I urge my lord to award maximum sentence as provided by law so as to serve as deterrence to others.”

    In his judgment, Justice Chuka Obiozor said: ”I will give you a second chance as a first offender but those who took your drugs and died had no second chance”.

    He reprimanded the convict for being a 2:1 UNN graduate who chose to deal in fake drugs instead of staying in the village to find something worthy to do, if she could not get a decent job in Lagos.

    The judge said: “Clara Onah, you are hereby sentenced to seven years imprisonment at the women wing of the Kirikiri Maximum Prison on each of the counts. They are to run concurrently starting from January 26, when you were arrested and detained.

    “The convict was also fined N50,000 on count five. The prosecution should hold on to the exhibits pending the elapse of the time of appeal of this judgment. At the elapse of appeal window, the prosecution should destroy it.”

    The offences contravened the provisions of Section 1(1) (a), 3, and 3 (1) of the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs Unwholesome Processed Foods, (Miscellaneous Provision) Act Cap 34, Laws of the Federation, 2004.

  • Clampdown on fake drugs

    The Ondo State government has begun a clampdown on fake drugs stores.

    The Commissioner for Health, Dayo Adeyanju, who led a raid on some pharmaceutical stores in Akure, said the government would watch the people consume fake drugs.

    Last year, the government inaugurated a task force and bought the Tru-drug scan machine.

    Adeyanju said the government had done so much in providing qualitative healthcare for the people viz-a-viz programmes and policies, facilities, and manpower.

    Adeyanju said the raid was to get rid of fake and adulterated drugs and end all sharp practices by the sellers.

    He warned merchants of fake drugs that it would not be business as usual as the task force would punish offenders.

  • Court remands two for importing N10bn expired drugs

    A Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday ordered one Kennedy Okereke, alias Agama, to be remanded in prison for allegedly importing into the country 49 different brands of fake drugs and product estimated at N10bn.

    Okereke was remanded alongside one Uchendu Oledibe, his accomplice, with whom he allegedly committed the offence on March 2, 2015.

    According to the charges filed against them, the accused operated at five different bases in Lagos, from where they allegedly labelled and circulated the counterfeit and expired drugs to innocent or unsuspecting members of the general public.

    The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control listed the bases as Mosco Shonubi Close, Shangisha; Okunowo Street, Ikosi, Ketu; Bello Street, Ikosi, Ketu; Iddo Terminus; and Consolidated Warehouse, Oyingbo, Lagos State.

    Okereke and Oledibe were, on Friday, arraigned before Justice Mohammed Yunusa on 12 counts bordering on importation, labelling and circulation of counterfeit and expired drugs to the public.

    The NAFDAC prosecutor, Mr. Umar Shamaki, said the offence contravened, among other laws of the land, Section 1 (a) of the Counterfeit, Fake Drug and Unwholesome Processed Foods (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act Cap C34, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

    He added that the two accused were liable to be punished under Section 3 (1) (a) of the same Act.

    But when the charges were read to them, Okereke and Oledibe pleaded not guilty.

    The agency, however, listed among various other counterfeited proprietary brands of drugs allegedly imported and labelled by the accused persons, Tarivid 200mg tablet; Augmentin 625mg tablet; Proviron tablet; Novasc 10mg tablet; Glucophage 500mg tablet; Cotecxin tablet; Rectin – A Cream; Regroton tablet; Clomid tablet; Loratyn-10 tablet and Cytotec-200mg tablet.

    Also listed were Lexotan tablet, Tegretol tablet, Nizoral 200mg tablet; Analgin injection; Vitalas Tetanus injection; Viagra 100mg tablet among several others.

    Shamaki, alleged that the accused loaded the products into a container measuring over 20 by 40 feet in dimension.

    Following their arraignment, the prosecutor said, “My Lord, in view of the not guilty plea of the accused, may I humbly ask for a day for trial. But before then, My Lord, may I ask the court for an order remanding the accused persons in prison custody pending trial.”

    But the defence counsel, Mr. Michael Imonah, urged the court to turn down the prosecution’s prayer to remand his clients, saying he had already filed bail applications and served on the prosecutor.

    Imonah said, “My Lord, we would not be opposing the prayer for a date for trial but with due respect, we have filed an application in respect of their bail and the application is dated March 27, 2015.

    “In respect of the first accused person, we have served the prosecuting counsel and I wish to plead with your Lordship to move the application.”

    Shamaki, however, said he was only served with the bail application on Friday morning in court, adding that he was opposed to it and would require time to file appropriate response.

    “We are opposed to the application. We have just been served and I intend to reply and I need time to do this. We are asking for a date within which to react because these are issues of law, which would need to be controverted,” Shamaki said.

    Yunusa consequently ordered the prison remand of the accused persons and adjourned till April 1, 2015 to entertain their applications for bail.