The trader pictured below, identified as Chijioke Nwagu was arrested by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for allegedly manufacturing and selling counterfeit drugs.
From reports, NAFDAC said the suspect carried out the manufacturing of the drugs in the toilet of his two-bedroom flat where he mixes chemical in a 200-litre drum at his residence located at Elemijaye Street, Ajamgbadi area of Lagos State.
Briefing journalists on Tuesday November 2, 2013, the Director-General of the agency, Paul Orhii said the suspect is specialized 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.”
The suspect’s wife, Jane, was arrested by the agency, the suspect claimed that he did not plan on selling the goods in Nigeria, saying there were meant for export to Benin Republic.
Nwagu 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.”
Source: Punch Newspapers
