The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has apprehended a trader, Chijioke Nwagu, for allegedly manufacturing and selling counterfeit drugs.
According to NAFDAC, the suspect, who lives on Elemijaye Street, Ajamgbadi
area of Lagos State, carries out the illegal manufacture in the toilet of his
two-bedroom flat where he mixes chemicals in a 200-litre drum.
The Director-General of the agency, Dr. Paul Orhii, while briefing
journalists in Lagos on Tuesday, said the suspect specialised in counterfeiting
cough syrup.
He said,
“Following an intelligence report and surveillance mounted at Alafia, Orile
Iganmu, where Nwagu supplies counterfeit Tutolin with codeine cough syrup that
he manufactures, operatives of NAFDAC intercepted and arrested one Uzodinma
Odoemina with fake drugs
“Odoemina led
investigators to Nwagu’s house where it was discovered that Nwagu carries out
the illegal manufacture in the toilet of his house by pouring different
locally-manufactured cough syrup of reputable companies into 200 litres drum
and after mixing them, he then dispenses them into empty bottles and labels it
as Tutolin with codeine cough syrup.
“In his
house, we found, four cartons of Uniplex cough syrup, four rolls of Bancof
cough expectorant, 50 bottles of Dr Meyers’ Coflin Cough Linctus, 1,500 bottles
of Exiplon Epectorant, two cartons of Halfan tablet, 200 litres drum, one
carton of Dr Nando double 77 keys to power and empty containers of these drugs
as well.”
PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspect’s wife, Jane, who was at the house, was
also arrested by the agency.
But the suspect explained that he did not plan on selling the goods in
Nigeria, saying they were meant for export to Benin Republic.
He said, “I
bought the packaging material of Tutolin with codeine from one Chibuike in
China and the product was meant to be supplied to Benin Republic. In the course
of my business, I met one Chisom Onwudinjo, who came to my house to see how I
manufacture my goods in my house.
“He
subsequently agreed to be my distributor and he also accepted that we will not
sell the product here in Nigeria.”
Punch
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