Illegal drug factory: Four men arraigned

Bisi Abass

Four men arrested by the police Intelligence Response Team on November 23, 2018 for allegedly operating an illegal drug factory and manufacturing fake drugs, were on Tuesday arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court.

The suspects, Emeka Madu, 47; Eze Young, 26; Chijoke Umunna, 19; and Kingsley Obilor, 22, were arraigned on three counts of conspiracy, unlawful manufacturing of drugs and operation of an illegal drug factory.

The force spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, said police operatives received credible intelligence and acted on it to uncover the fake factory, where substantial production, packaging and distribution of suspected fake drugs to different parts of the country were being carried out.

The police said they recovered cartons of different fake drugs; large quantities of unprocessed chemical substances used for manufacturing drugs; machines for processing, manufacturing and packaging of these drugs; as well as forged pharmaceutical papers.

The police prosecutor, Peter Nwagwu, told the court that the accused persons committed the offences on November 13, 2018, around 9am at No. 2 Okunnenye Street, in the Ikotun-Egbe area of Lagos.

He said, “Madu, Young, Umunna and Obilor unlawfully manufactured pharmaceutical drugs suspected to be fake paracetamol tablets and septrin tablets for consumption by unsuspecting members of the public.”

Nwangwu alleged that Madu, sometime in 2014, unlawfully acquired two tablet-making machines, two blister machines and other types of equipment for the purpose of operating an illegal drug factory without a licence or any formal training.

The prosecutor said the offences contravened the provisions of sections 160 (1), (a), (b), 252 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

After the charges were read to the accused persons, they pleaded not guilty.

In her ruling, the magistrate, Mrs Yewande Aje-Afunwa, admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N1m each with two responsible sureties each in like sum.

Aje-Afunwa ordered that one of the sureties must be a blood relation to each of the accused persons.

She added that the sureties must be gainfully employed and show evidence of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

The magistrate adjourned the case till February 28 for mention.