Mansur Oladunjoye
2 December 2008
Lagos — Lagos State task force on counterfeit and fake drug and unwholesome processed foods has shut down nine illegal pharmacy and patent medicine shops and arrested three operators.
The raid was jointly carried out with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), representatives of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN), officials of the state Ministry of Health and officers of the state Rapid Response Squad (RRS).
According to a statement signed by the public relations officer in the state Ministry of Health, Jide Lawal, the enforcement agency also carted away fake drugs valued at over N100 million.
He said that the arrests were made in accordance with the mandate of the task force on counterfeit and fake drugs and unwholesome processed foods, which has arrested no fewer than 524 illegal operators and sealed no fewer than 3031 illegal premises within the last 12months due to the high prevalence of illegal operators in many parts of Lagos.
Lawal said that the move was a renewed effort by the state government to sanitize the drug distribution system to ensure the safety of lives of its citizenry, adding that the confrontation became necessary following the need to decisively stop the activities of illegal operators within markets in the state.
He said, "the nine Pharmacy and Patent Medicine shops were shut for offences ranging from illegal operation; location of such shops; refusal to observe the mandated distance between two Pharmacy/Patent Medicine shops and; sales of fake, counterfeit and unwholesome processed foods." He noted that penalties for these offences included the forfeiture of the items to the state government for subsequent destruction; payment of N100,000 fine for an illegal pharmacy shop operator outside a market area; and N500,000 fine for illegal operators within a market area.
Lawal said that the pharmacy/patent shops affected included E & T Chemist located at No 44, Abeokuta Street, Off Sanyaolu Street in Ilaje, Bariga; V.I.C. Pharmacy located at No 7, Sanyaolu Street, off Ilaje Bariga; SALAS Chemist situated at No 4, Olanrewaju Street Bariga; and Ben-Perp Enterprises located at No. 13, Alarape Street, New Garage, Lagos.
Others were: E.C.G Drugs Limited located at No. 1, Jagunmolu Street , Abule Bariga; Rinco Investments Limited situated at No 30 Okuta Road, Bariga; Dr. Awusa Patent Medicine Shop located at No. 28, Alarape Street , New Garage; and two other patent medicine shops located at No. 1, Odunsi Street, Off Okuta Road, Bariga; and No. 46, Tijani Ashogbon Street, Bariga respectively.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Daily Champion. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
