NAFDAC: Life imprisonment Jail Time for manufacturers of fake drugs

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has again restated its determination to put an end to the menace of fake drugs in the country by seeking to establish a law that will ensure that producers of fake drugs spend the rest of their lives in prison. This was made known by the Director-General of the Agency, Dr Paul Orhii, during a facility tour of the NAFDAC premises at Oshodi in Lagos State, by the Senate Committee on Health, last week. Speaking on the menace of illegal drugs in the country, Dr Orhii stated that if the law was passed, the fight against fake drugs would be taken to another level in the country, as the Agency would have the necessary legal backing to prosecute anyone found guilty. According to him, with effective and adequate passage of the law, the Agency would be enabled to prosecute such category of people who would be expected to spend the rest of their lives in prison. Revealing that fake drug importation remained one of the greatest challenges faced by the Agency, Dr Orhii, said “currently, the biggest challenge NAFDAC faces is continuous counterfeiting of drugs, including those that are imported into the country. Fake and counterfeit drugs still account for about 30 per cent of drugs consumed in developing economies despite efforts to curb the menace.” He also added that those involved in the illicit trade had devised more sophisticated and globalised ways of carrying put their business. - Tribune