The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has arrested three manufacturers of fake codeine cough syrup and wines in Delta State even as it threatened to clampdown on importers, distributors and marketers still stocking banned regulated products. 

 

NAFDAC Addressing journalists in Lagos on its regulatory and enforcement activities, the Acting Director General of NAFDAC, Mrs. Yetunde Oni said the suspects; Mr. Chika Nwaemeka Nwoye and Mr. Ebuka Ojeani Nelson and Mr. Udoka Offor were also found to be in possession of fake cartoons of pharmaceutical products and packaging materials. 

 

Oni explained that Mrs Chika Nwoye who is the marketing manager of Archy Pharmaceutical Limited and Ebuka Ojeani were being investigated for their involvement in faking, sale and distribution of fake Archilin with codeine cough syrup. According to Oni, several cartoons of the fake product were found at the premises of Ebuka aka.

 

Ebu-young who had earlier evaded arrest when he learnt that operatives were in his shop but later turned himself in after his shop, warehouse and residential apartment were placed on hold. 

 

She said the two suspects who were obviously taking advantage of the market opportunities provided by the original products have been arraigned in court. Also, Mr. Udoka Offor who was arrested in Abia State was arrested in possession of 28 cartoons and 50 bottles of COF’NÇOLD codeine syrup. 

 

During interrogation under caution, he (Udoka) admitted to have been producing the cough syrup in a one room rented apartment in Asaba, Delta State and markets the products at Head bridge market, Onitsha in Anambra State.

 

Udoka further confessed that he buys the original product from the market, reduces the fill volume and mixes the reduced fill volume of the original cough syrup with borehole water to produce the exact volume per bottle thereby making more quantity of the syrup and selling to unsuspecting public. 

 

Oni also disclosed that NAFDAC has intercepted several cartoons of fake pharmaceutical products and packaging materials in a 40 feet container declared as agricultural products. Meanwhile, the Agency has warned that the Federal Government’s ban on commodities such as foreign juices, refined oils and fats, cocoa butter, powder and cakes, spaghetti/noodles, sweetening among others is still in force.

 

Oni said the Agency was determined to wipe out from the markets products whose importations into the country have been banned by government. She implored all importers, distributors and marketers still stocking banned NAFDAC regulated products to withdraw them from circulation as the Agency would leave no stone unturned to arrest and prosecute violators of the extant policy. 

 

On joint raid of adulterated and fake spirits and wines, she added that NAFDAC in collaboration with International Federation of Spirit Producers, IFSP, carried out a coordinated raid operation within the south western Nigeria of adulterated and fake spirits and wines which led to the seizure of fake spirits and wines worth thousands of naira.

Vanguard