The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has sounded the alarm over the country’s thriving illegal drug market, demanding harsh penalties for counterfeit drug manufacturers and dealers. Calling them “merchants of death,” the pharmacists insist on a 20-year jail sentence and fines ranging from N20 million to N50 million to curb the deadly trade.
In a statement signed by ACPN National Chairman, Pharm. Ezeh Ambrose, and National Secretary, Pharm. Ashore Omokhafe, the association urged the National Assembly to enact stricter laws and push regulatory agencies to intensify their crackdown on fake drug syndicates.
“We cannot afford to be complacent,” the statement reads. “Lives are being lost daily due to counterfeit and substandard drugs. A mere N500,000 fine and five-year sentence is an insult to the victims. We need penalties that will serve as real deterrents.”
The ACPN commended regulatory agencies like the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for securing agreements to move major drug markets into Coordinated Wholesale Centres (CWCs). However, they insist that these measures alone won’t be enough.
The association is calling for intensified raids on illegal drug hubs in Lagos, including Mushin, Agege, and Orile, as well as other hotspots nationwide. They also demand that state governments fast-track the relocation of drug markets in Ibadan, Enugu, and Maiduguri to CWCs, as previously directed in 2018.
“This is a fight to the finish,” the ACPN declared. “Federal and state task forces must be fully equipped, and the Fake Drug Act must be amended to empower regulators with the authority and resources to wipe out this deadly industry. The time for half-measures is over—Nigerians deserve safe and genuine medications.”
With fake drugs causing thousands of preventable deaths, the pharmacists’ call for justice is a rallying cry to end the deadly trade once and for all.
