NAFDAC seeks death penalty for fake drugs importers

Kwara State Coordinator, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Mrs. Juliana Abayomi, has called on the Federal Government, the National Assembly and the judiciary to ensure that
importers  and marketers  of fake and substandard drugs bag capital punishment.
She stated that the menace of fake and substandard drugs had led to the death of many people.
She spoke in an interview with our correspondent in Ilorin on Friday on the sidelines of the agency’s public enlightenment campaign on the dangers of drug misuse and abuse.
The exercise involved no fewer than 50 corps members under the NYSC’s community development unit and NAFDAC officials who stormed motor parks at Maraba and Offa, in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, to  enlighten the people.
“Honestly speaking, bringing in fake drugs is as worse as an armed robber shooting at a person. So if an armed robber could be sentenced to death, I do not see why somebody, who  is involved in illegal  or fake drug business  should not be sentenced to death.
“It is as bad. When someone takes fake drugs, it could result to death. God knows how many lives that have gone as a result of substandard drugs,” Abayomi said.
Abayomi  added  that NAFDAC officials and those of  other regulatory agencies recently went round Kwara North  Senatorial District for inspection and monitoring.
She said some water packaging firms and patent and pharmacy stores in the locality were punished or sanctioned because of their alleged indulgence in unwholesome practices.
She warned operators to adhere strictly to set standards and avoid jeopardising the health of the residents and their business, as according to her, NAFDAC will never condoned any infraction.