Lagos — Director-General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Dora Akunyili, has confirmed the death of five more children at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH) Monday, and 14-month-old Chidimma Bright after taking the killer drug, My Pikin.

The death toll has thus risen to 33.

Akunyili, who said seven more children were still on admission at the hospital after taking the killer drug, traced its origin to Propyleneglycol from Tranxell Ltd by Barewa Pharmaceutical, who in turn used it as part of the materials for the production the killer drug.

"On the 1/12/08, clinical report sent to NAFDAC's office stated that five more children had died from the complications they received from the usage of My Pikin. This brings the number of officially reported deaths to 33 because it was 28 before. They died on 30/11/08 from the consumption of 'My Pikin'. Mr. Njoku Chidi Bright (08067053937) complained that his 14-month-old baby (Chidimma Bright) died on 2nd November 2008 at 1.00am after taking My Pikin Teething Mixture. This brings the number of deaths known to us to 34.

"The children still died in spite of dialysis treatment because the kidneys were already damaged. In Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), seven children who took My Pikin are still on admission.

"Mr Ikem Omalu, MD of Tranxell Ltd of Ilasamaja, Lagos, has eventually, while under detention, confessed that, in addition to Barewa Pharmaceuticals, he also sold Propyleneglycol to Mr. Dozie Anyachebe, Gauze Pharm Ltd of Enu-Ifite Village, Awka, Anambra State, and to Mr Mukthari, owner of Sagar Overseas of 2B Industrial Estate, Arcee Textile Compound, Aswani Market Road, Isola, Lagos. NAFDAC has sealed off Gauze Pharm Ltd, stopped production and samples taken for testing. Sagar Overseas has been investigated and found to be a textile company that uses chemicals as resins in their textile operations," she said.

Explaining how far the Agency had gone in unravelling the misery behind the killer drug, Akunyili said the MD, Tranxell Ltd, Mr. Okunola, Production Manager and Quality Assurance Manager of Barewa Pharmaceuticals Ltd, are in NAFDAC custody for interrogation.

"Mr Okunola, while under detention, admitted buying 40 litres of Propyleneglycol from Tranxell Ltd. This was sold in a plastic jerry can and was not in the original packaging, and the supplier is not a registered chemicals marketer. The non registered chemicals marketer is Mr. Ikem Omalu of Tranxell Ltd. On investigation, we confirmed that all the raw materials that were purchased by Barewa Pharmaceuticals in the past, were bought in their original packaging with their certificates of analysis, which is the right thing to do in good manufacturing practice. On this occasion, the raw material was bought in a jerry can, not the original container, and with no certificate of analysis, and this has been identified as the source of contamination with diethyleneglycol. This is how the poisonous chemical entered into My Pikin teething mixture Batch No.02008.

"Mr Ikem Omalu of Tranxell Ltd said that he bought from a shop owned by Mr Emeka Onwalia, in an open market near Ojota bus stop. Emeka Onwalia claimed he bought from Kenneth Azogba. Kenneth claimed that he bought from one Chinwendu Morako, who claimed that he bought from someone on the run. All this took place in the same open market at Ojota. The stall of the person on the run has been closed by NAFDAC. "We suspect that Chinwendu Morako is not his real name. He, together with Ikem Omalu, Emeka Onwalia, Kenneth Azogba, are also unregistered chemicals marketers and have all been arrested by NAFDAC and are currently under detention. The marketers involved have made useful statements to the Police and investigation continues," she said.