Pharmaceutical agency sets stiffer penalty for offenders

Dr Paul Orhil
Director General NAFDAC

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Pharmaceutical agency sets stiffer penalty for offenders
By Timothy Choji, Gombe

The Nigerian Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says manufacturers of fake drugs will be sentence to life imprisonment without an option of fine.

Director General of the agency, Dr Paul Orhil stated this on a working visit to Gombe State, North-East Nigeria.

He says their assets would also be confiscated and there would be no provision for bail.

“We have assembled the best legal practitioners in Nigeria, comprising Senior Advocates and the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and then we came up with a draft law that we have just presented to the Federal Executive Council to be approved by the National Assembly,” Dr Orhil stated.

Dr Orhii said circulation of fake drugs in Nigeria had reduced as its regulatory angency is now among the top 20 in the world.

“Manufacturing of fake medicines has been reduced from 16.7% to 6.4%. We are currently among the top 20 drug regulatory agencies in the world,” he says.

The Director General said local government areas in Nigeria would set up NAFDAC desks to ensure adequate monitoring of foods and drugs.

With the crackdown on illegal narcotics trade, drug barons are now diverting their resources into manufacturing and distribution of counterfeit medicine.

Ibisaki