LASG shuts 31 shops, arrests 8 operators

Worried by the danger posed by the activities of these operators, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, who disclosed last Monday, explained that the 31 shops were sealed-off for various offences which were contrary to the provisions of the law on the operation of pharmacies and patent medicine stores in the state. Speaking […]

Worried by the danger posed by the activities of these operators, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, who disclosed last Monday, explained that the 31 shops were sealed-off for various offences which were contrary to the provisions of the law on the operation of pharmacies and patent medicine stores in the state.

Speaking further, Idris noted that the latest closure was coming on the heels of government’s renewed mandate to the State Task Force on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods to comb all nooks and crannies of the state for illegal patent medicine and pharmaceutical stores’ operators.

The Commissioner listed the affected patent medicine stores and unregistered premises as including those located at Numbers 7, 11, 13 and 18 Agaran Street, Mushin; numbers 6 and 20 Olopade Street, Mushin; numbers 7, 9, 20, 25 and 27A and B Isolo Road, Mushin; numbers 168, 170, 174, 178, 182 and 188 Agege Motor Road, Mushin; numbers 1 and 13 Akanmu Lane, Mushin, and 14 unnumbered shops off Akanmu Lane.

In the same vain, He mentioned that the eight arrested persons are Miss. Uzoma Joy, Miss. Uju Okonkwo, Messrs Chibuzo Michael, Onyebuchi Meridem, Chibuzo Maduka, Uche Madueke, Nkasiob Atoronwa and Hyacinth Uche.

While commenting on what will be the fate of those arrested by the agencies, the commissioner hinted that those arrested would be prosecuted in accordance with the law of the land, adding that the law stipulates fines of N100,000 and N500,000 for convicted owners and operators of illegal pharmacies and patent medicine shops located outside a market area and within a market area respectively, in addition to swearing to an affidavit to regularize their registration.

Similarly, he listed that they would obtain a valid license from the drug regulatory authority, relocation from a market area, adhering to the mandated distance between two patent medicine shops; pharmacies and market places as stipulated by the law; and a pledge to desist from sales of counterfeit, substandard and fake drugs as part of the affidavit’s conditions for defaulters.