Lagos – A Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday convicted a businessman, Sylvanus Nwanoro, for dealing in counterfeit drugs.
Justice Ibrahim Buba sentenced the convict to five years’ imprisonment with a N 500, 000 option of fine.
The judge, however, condemned the action of the convict.
He lamented the effects of taking codeine by youths, which he said was as a result of the action of people like the convict.
Buba commended the prosecution and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for doing a good job and urged it to continue to rid the country of counterfeit and fake drugs.
Nwanoro, 37, was arraigned on five charges bordering on illegal possession and sales of counterfeited drugs (Cof ‘N’Cold with Codeine Syrup).
Earlier, the prosecutor, Umar Shamaki, told the court that the offence was committed at No. 5, Ekeh Macaulay St., Iba area of Lagos State, the residence of the accused.
The convict had pleaded guilty to one of the charges prompting the prosecution to review the facts of the case before the court.
In his plea of allocutus (mercy), the convict asked for a second chance.
He said that he was a first offender and was now remorseful of his action.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nwanoro was arrested by a team of NAFDAC officials from its Investigation and Enforcement Directorate in October last year at a popular hotel in Okokomaiko, a Lagos suburb.
The convict wanted to deliver the already produced and packaged cough syrup to a customer. (NAN)