A Federal High Court in Calabar has sentenced a woman, Ezea Isidora Kamchukwube, to eight years imprisonment for illegally operating pharmacies and allowing unqualified persons to dispense medicines in Cross River State.
Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu delivered the judgment on Monday after finding the defendant guilty of running pharmaceutical businesses without registration as required under the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) Act 2022.
According to court records, the convict operated “24 Hours Pharmaceuticals” on Marian Road and another pharmacy along Etta Agbor Road in Calabar without the necessary approval from the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria.
The court also heard that officials of the PCN had earlier sealed the premises during an enforcement exercise. However, the defendant allegedly broke the seals and resumed operations despite regulatory directives.
Justice Ojukwu ruled that the actions violated multiple provisions of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria Act, including practicing pharmacy without registration and operating pharmaceutical premises illegally.
Speaking after the judgment, Aliyu Okayode, Deputy Director at the Federal Ministry of Justice, said the conviction sends a strong message to individuals operating pharmaceutical businesses outside the law.
He stated that the prosecution successfully proved before the court that the defendant was neither registered nor licensed to practice pharmacy.
The case highlights the ongoing crackdown by regulatory authorities on illegal drug outlets across Nigeria, amid growing concerns about fake medicines, drug abuse, and the activities of unqualified medicine vendors.
Many public health experts have repeatedly warned that medicines dispensed by unqualified persons can lead to treatment failure, drug resistance, severe adverse reactions, and even death.
