How I Flooded Markets With Fake Drugs – Suspect
CYRIACUS IZUEKWE
A 47-year old fake drugs producer, Emeka Madu, a.k.a Cabara has confessed that he had flooded Nigerian markets with fake drugs worth millions of Naira for the last four years.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that Cabara made the confession after the Police uncovered his illegal pharmaceutical company at 2, Okunnenye Street in Ikotun, Lagos, where he produced those drugs in an uncompleted building and distributed across the country.
Mr. Cabara who hails from Mbaise in Imo State revealed that he produced the drugs in large quantities in his factory and thereafter moved the products to Bridge Head drugs market in Onitsha where they bought on wholesale and sold to their numerous customers across the country.
The fake drugs also had NAFDAC fake registration number as 043848 with fake manufacturing company as Cleg Pharmaceutical Limited at Agbara Estate in Ogun State to make them look real.
The father of many kids said that his customers were mainly drug dealers who knew that his drugs were substandard because he reduced 250mg to 180mg. Thus, the drugs he produced may not likely be effective to cure any ailment as prescribed to patients. He also revealed that when the business started progressing, he bought machines that enabled him to produce his choice products in large quantities because of high demand.
Four persons, including the owner of the illegal company were arrested by operatives of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) led by Abba Kyari, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP).
Items recovered from the scene were cartons of different fake drugs; large quantities of unprocessed chemical substances used in manufacturing drugs; several machine fabricated for processing, manufacturing and packaging of fake drugs; forged pharmaceutical documents and plastic buckets of different types suspected to be fake drugs .
The suspects were paraded at the factory premises by the Police Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood.
Apart from the owner, Emeka Madu a.k.a Cabara, others were Eze Young; Chijioke Umunna and Kingsley Obilo, all staff of Cabara.
Moshood said that the IRT, working on credible intelligence stormed and raided the factory where substantial production, packaging and distribution of suspected fake drugs to different parts of the country were being carried out, adding that the premises has also been sealed and remained sealed till the determination of the case in court.
Madu, while speaking with newsmen said, “I am 47-year-old . I am from Mbaise in Imo State and I am the owner of the factory. I am a secondary school certificate holder and learnt the trade from a friend who is now late.
“I started my own business about four years ago. Although I am not a pharmacist or a chemist, but the drugs I produced were not totally fake as I used quality chemicals to produce them.
“My market is at Onitsha, Anambra State. I don’t supply in Lagos. I distribute only in Onitsha and they in turn know where they distribute.
“I have not really made too much money. I can take the drug and give to my wife and children, because it is not totally fake. I try to be genuine; what I do is to make 180mg instead of 250mg” Madu confessed.
Moshood said that the Police were investigating to know those who produced the drug packs, those he supplied to and other members of his gang, while assuring that the suspects will be charged to the court at the end of the investigations.