A Federal High Court in Calabar has sentenced a businesswoman, Ezea Kamchukwube, to eight years in prison for operating unregistered pharmaceutical premises and posing as a registered pharmacist, in a judgment seen as a major boost in the fight against quackery and unregulated drug distribution.
The court found the defendant guilty on multiple counts relating to the unlawful operation of pharmaceutical facilities and illegal dispensing of drugs, offences authorities say posed serious risks to public health and safety.
The prosecution followed an enforcement operation by the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, which uncovered two pharmaceutical outlets allegedly operated by the convict without registration or regulatory approval.
The facilities, located in Calabar, were found to be operating in violation of the provisions of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria Establishment Act.
Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu held that the offences contravened provisions of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria Act and sentenced the defendant to eight years in prison.
The judgment was delivered in absentia after the convict absconded.
Deputy Director at the Federal Ministry of Justice, Aliyu Kayode, who prosecuted the case on behalf of the Federal Government, said the conviction sends a strong message that individuals operating pharmaceutical premises without registration or falsely presenting themselves as qualified pharmacists would face the full weight of the law.
Counsel representing the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, which was joined in the matter, welcomed the judgment and described it as a significant victory for regulatory enforcement and public safety.
Authorities said the judgment reinforces ongoing efforts to sanitise the pharmaceutical sector and protect the public from the dangers of unregulated drug distribution.
(Editor: Ada Ononye)
