The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Plateau Command on Saturday handed over 5580 kg of expired drugs and medical devices and 2652 kg of psychotropic substances it seized from a warehouse in Jos.
Mr Ibrahim Braji, NDLEA Commander while handing over the seized expired drugs and medical devices to the Zonal Director of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Mrs Josephine Dailyi, said that the agency seized the drugs from the warehouse of one Jude Okoye, an alleged notorious psychotropic drug dealer.
Dailyi was represented by Mr Gabriel Philip, NAFDAC Assistant Chief Regulatory Officer.
Braji also said that the agency seized syringes, intravenous injection liquids and newly printed labels with new dates of production and expiration.
The commander alleged that Okoye, popularly known as Zuma” owns a patent medicine store named “Zuma pharmacy “which he uses to disguise his nefarious act of peddling the controlled drugs.
“All the drugs in his possession are controlled drugs and he doesn’t have the qualification or license to sell, because he is a patent medicine dealer; it has to be dispensed by a pharmacist with prescription from a medical doctor,” he said.
He alleged that Okoye, had been convicted three times for the same offence.
Braji appealed to the public to cooperate with the agency in its effort at ridding the state of “expired drug traffickers.
Responding, Philip alleged that Okoye was convicted in October 2015 for being in possession of unregistered and expired drugs during a routine NAFDAC surveillance.
Philip said that the expired drugs which were worth two million Naira, were confiscated from his shop and destroyed.
He disclosed that the said Okoye wrote a letter of undertaking to desist from the nefarious act after his conviction in 2015 and was sentenced to three years in prison with an option of N200,000 fine.
Philip said that Okoye paid the fine and avoided jail term. (NAN)
UBO/SH