Director General of NAFDAC, Dr Paul Orhii
| credits:
| credits:
A
member of a drug cloning syndicate, Mr. Maduabuchi Abuzu, has been
arrested by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and
Control in Lagos, for importing fake drugs into the country.
Abuzu, for at least two years, has been
on NAFDAC’s watch list of fake drug importers, and was arrested in his
home in Iganmu, Lagos, a statement by the agency’s Public Relations Unit
on Thursday, said.
Fake drugs worth over N20m were
discovered and machines used for packaging them were found in his home
at the time of his arrest.
The Director of Enforcement, NAFDAC, Mr.
Garba Macdonald, confirmed the arrest, saying, “The arrest of
Maduabuchi was a major breakthrough in the fight to stem the activities
of the syndicate.
“In the last two years, he had brought into the country fake drugs with his partners in China.”
Macdonald said the suspect confessed to
being in partnership with some people in China, and imported these drugs
through this means.”
It was learnt that Abuzu used his house as a warehouse for the drugs, like coartem tablets, amalar tablets and many more.
However, the suspect is assisting NAFDAC in its investigations, a source close to the agency said.
A source said the country was
collaborating with the Chinese government to unravel the suspects behind
the fake drugs production, and punish them accordingly.
The source said, “The agency is
determined to take advantage of its collaboration with the Chinese
government in the fight against fake drugs.
“This is to ensure that when
investigations are concluded in Nigeria the culprits will be punished
according to their drug counterfeiting laws.”
The syndicate was said to have perfected its cloning act in China and thereafter imported the drugs into the country.
Macdonald said NAFDAC was highly
determined in evacuating fake drugs from the country, urging Nigerians
to report anything suspicious to the agency.
He said, “The agency is determined to
rid the country of fake and unwholesome drugs. All Nigerians are to
report any suspicious activity to relating to NAFDAC regulated products
around their community for immediate action.”
An official from one of the victimised
companies, said, “This will send a strong signal to the likes of
Maduabuchi still on the run.
“The activities of the syndicate are
capable of putting government’s initiative of encouraging local
production of essential drugs into jeopardy.”
PUNCH
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