Microbiologist jailed seven years in Nigeria for manufacturing fake drugs

A Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday sentenced a graduate of Microbiology from the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Clarah Onah, to seven years imprisonment for manufacturing and peddling fake metronidazole tablets.

The convict was caught on January 26, 2016 in possession of 200mg tablets of the fake drug which the National Agency for Food, Drugs, Administration and Control told the court that she was distributing to the members of the public.

Onah, who is a post-graduate student of Mass Communications, was on February 12, 2016 arraigned by NAFDAC on five counts before Justice Justice Chuka Obiozor. 

The prosecuting counsel for NAFDAC, Mr. Shamaki Umar, had told the judge that Onah acted contrary to sections 1(1) (a) and 3 (1) of the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs Unwholesome Processed Foods, (Miscellaneous Provision) Act Cap 34, Laws of the Federation, 2004.

Upon reading the charges to her, Onah pleaded guilty to all the counts.

Reviewing the facts of the case on Wednesday, Shamaki tendered, among others, Onah’s confessional statement as well as the bulk of the fake drug recovered from her.

He urged the judge to impose maximum sentence on Onah, saying the convict, who graduate with second class upper grade in Microbiology, knew what she was doing.

“When she was asked to show the operatives of NAFDAC where the drugs were being manufactured, she took the investigators to an unknown address, an address that does not exist. When they eventually got to his residence, they discovered the items she uses in the manufacturing of drugs such as weighing scales and labels.

“With all intent and purposes, My Lord, she was manufacturing them herself. Therefore, I urge my lord to award maximum sentence as provided by law so as to serve as deterrent to others,” Shamaki said.

But Onah’s lawyer, Chinedu Moore, urged the court temper justice with mercy in sentencing the convict, saying she was a first offender, who had no intention of manufacturing fake drugs.

In his judgment, Justice Obiozor said though innocent citizens who took the fake drugs and died as a result were not given a second chance, she was inclined to give the convict a second chance.

The judge held, “I will give the convict a second chance but note that all those who died as a result of the ingestion of the fake drug have no second chance.

“The convict is sentenced to a term of seven years imprisonment on counts one to four, and is sentenced to pay a fine of N50,000 on count five.

“She is to be jailed at the women wing of the Kirikiri Maximum prison, and the term of imprisonment shall run concurrently from Jan. 26

“The prosecution shall hold on to the exhibits, and destroy same after the expiration of the time for appeal.”