Microbiologist jailed 7 years for selling fake drug

A Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday sentenced a 40-yearold woman, Clara Onah, to seven years imprisonment over the sale of fake drugs. The accused, a graduate of microbiology from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and a postgraduate student of mass communication, resides in Alagbado, Lagos. Onah was arraigned by the National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, on February 12 on a five-count charge bordering on possession and sale of fake drugs. She had pleaded guilty to the charge. Consequently, Justice Chuka Obiozor ordered her remand in prison custody, and adjourned for a review of the facts.

Delivering his judgment yesterday, Justice Obiozor, found the accused guilty of the offence, and accordingly convicted her. Earlier, while reviewing the facts of the case, the prosecutor, Shamaki Umar, had tendered before the court seven different statements made by the convict to the agency as well as a bulk of the fake drug substance. Umar had told the court that the convict deceived officials of the agency by telling it that the fake drugs were manufactured under the bridge in Ota, Ogun State. He said the convict took a team of investigating officers from NAFDAC, on a fruitless journey in search of the alleged manufacturing company when in fact she was the sole manufacturer of the fake drugs. He said among the items recovered from the convict was a weighing machine as well as several fake drug substances.

During allocutus (mercy plea), the convict shed tears and begged the court to give her a second chance. She had she is a graduate of microbiology who emerged with a second class upper division (2:1), adding that she would never engage in such acts again if pardoned. At the sight of her tears, the judge had ordered her to “stop those crocodile tears,” for she was very much aware of her act. In the charge, the accused was said to have committed the offence on January 26. She was said to have engaged in the manufacture and sale of fake brand of 200 mg of Amazon Amagyl Metronidazole tablets to members of the public. He said the offences contravenes the provisions of section 1(1) (a), 3, and 3 (1) of the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods, (Miscellaneous Provision) Act Cap 34, Laws of the Federation, 2004.