ADEZE OJUKWU, CAJETAN MMUTA

Mr Iwunze was arrested last year by the NAFDAC regulatory officers at his residence in Bachalawa quarters, Kano which he allegedly uses for producing fake Barbicillin Ampicilin syrup and Rampicillin Ramsey syrup (powders).

Also in the net of the agency is a middle-aged woman, Mrs Taiwo Osibodu for allegedly revalidating expired caned Coca Cola drink containers.

According to the charges levelled against Mr Iwunze, his action contravenes section 1(a) of the counterfeit and fake drugs and unwholesome processed food (miscellaneous provisions) Act Cap C34 laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and punishable under section 3 of the same act.

He was put in the dock before Justice Adeniyi Ademola Adetokunboh and pleaded guilty to the charges even as he had no counsel to represent him in the case. Prosecuting counsel and NAFDAC’s deputy director of Legal Services, Mr Kingsley Ejiofor had prayed the court to commence immediate trial of the case since the accused had pleaded guilty to the charges.

According to the agency’s deputy director, Legal Services, there were six prosecution witnesses to testify against the accused with evidence of samples of the fake drugs and materials used by the accused tendered before the convict, Mr Iwunze, following the testimonies of the two witnesses, Assistant Superintendent (ASP) Attande Elijah and NAFDAC Chief Regulatory Officer, Mr Kehinde Mamudu who effected the arrest of the accused.

Justice Adetokunbo had on listening to the submissions of the prosecuting counsel, posited that eventhough the case professed against the accused had been proved beyond reasonable doubt there was need for the NAFDAC laboratory experts to come up with proof before the court for confirmation that the products were fake.

The case was adjourned till March 3 this year and Mr Iwunze risks a maximum of five years jail term or payment of five hundred thousand naira option of fine if found guilty and convicted by the court.

Meanwhile, the agency in a statement issued weekend by its Public Relations Officer Christy Obiakwozor said the agency’s enforcement team swooped on Mrs Osibodu at the premises of 189 A Cooperative drive in Dolphin Estate Ikoyi, Lagos, following a tip off.

The team led by Mr Shaba Mohammed caught the workers in the act of changing the dates on the soft drinks from the production date of January 2004 and the expiry date of December, 2005 to production date of December 2005 and expiry date of January 2006," it revealed.

NAFDAC’S director of enforcement, Mr Dioka Ejionueme, lamented "the deleterious effect the release of such a large quantity of expired products would have had on the health of consumers," warning that likes of Mrs Osibodu to desist from acts capable of endangering the public or face the full weight of the law."

He called on members of the public to be on the look out for tell-tale signs of faking or counterfeiting and to report any untoward incident to the nearest NAFDAC office."

He noted that "many of the coke cans were rusting and bursting yet the workers continued cleaning the old dates and re-inserting new ones."

According to him, the accused tried to negotiate with the agency’s officials which was promptly rejected by the team.

He assured of the agency’s determination to intensify the battle against adulteration in the country.