Trader Mixes Local Drugs, Sells as Cough Syrup

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 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.”
Another suspect, Ugbo Collins, who resides in
Onitsha, Anambra State, was arrested for
importing over 1,000 cartons of fake drugs
worth over N54m into the country.
The NAFDAC boss said, “The agency
intercepted a 20 feet container imported by
NGOD’s Success Ventures. The importer
fraudulently gave its name as Lamek’s Global
Links Limited on the consignment bill
purported to have originated from Pakistan,
but investigations revealed the real name of
the importer and that the goods came from
China.
“Investigations revealed that Collins from
Onitsha contacted one Larry Amah to clear
the consignment for him. Amah in turn, sub-
contracted the job to one Okey, an employee
of Ocean Star Shipping Company.
“The container was impounded and counterfeit
pharmaceuticals worth N54, 702, 500 were
discovered in the container. Some of them
include 348 cartons of Strepsil Tablets; 34
cartons of Augmentin Suspension, eight
cartons of Disprin Tablet, 99 cartons of
Septran Syrup and 20 cartons of Bonjela.
“Others include 126 cartons of CaC-1000
Tablets, 92 cartons of Cicatrin powder, four
cartons of Mydriacyl Eye Drop, seven cartons
of Glucophage Tablet, 27 cartons of Nystatin,
11 cartons of Apmiclox Suspension, 246
cartons of Dettol Antiseptic Liquid, 22 cartons
of Optalidon Tablet, 28 cartons of Encephabol
Liquid and 23 cartons of V-tab.”
The suspect, however, said he did not know
that the products were fake, adding that he
had even been administering the drugs to his
children.
“I have four children and they all use the
drugs. I even give my seven-month-old baby.
I was told that the goods were from Pakistan,
I did not know they were from China,” he
said.
Orhii urged members of the public to
continue to give the agency useful
information that could lead to the arrest of
drug counterfeiters.