Patience Akpuru
3 November 2009
NATIONAL Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) will today arraign two men before the Federal High Court, Lagos for allegedly importing fake and adulterated anti-malaria drugs into the country.
Efforts by the agency to arraign the accused persons, Ukogu Donatus and Nnaji Chukwudi yesterday failed as the presiding judge, Justice Ibrahim Ajakaiye was said to be away and did not sit. The judge had directed the court registrars to adjourn all the cases slated for yesterday for mention.
The duo brought to court on a four-count charge with their companies, Divine Favour Overseas Ltd. and Ed Worr Biz Concerns Ltd., were accused of importing fake and adulterated 1056 cartons of Maloxine and Amalar tablets from China, an offence punishable under the Counterfeit Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act Cap C34 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The fake drugs which the accused persons allegedly imported from China amounted to over 600,000 sachets and allegedly had just one active ingredient, 'Sulfadioxine.'
Donatus allegedly used his company, Divine Favour Overseas Ltd. to import the said fake anti-malaria drugs while Chukwudi as the Director of Ed Worr Biz Concerns Ltd used his organisation to aid and abet the import of the alleged adulterated products into the country.
Count one of the charge reads, "that you, Ukogu Tochukwu Donatus (also known as Tochukwu Donatus Anyaeji), a director of Divine Favour Overseas Ltd. and (the company), being a limited liability company registered under Nigerian Law, on or about May 20, 2009 at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court imported fake drugs to wit: (960) cartons of 'Maloxine Tablets' containing 348,000 sachets of three tablets which had the only active ingredient 'Sulfadioxine' from China, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (a( of the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act Cap C34 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under section 3 (1) (a) of the same Act."
The accused persons will today take their plea to the charge preferred against them by NAFDAC before Justice Ajakaiye.
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