Court Convicts Fake Drug Dealer, Slams Him with N.5m Fine

Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday convicted a Lagos businessman, Sylvanus Ifeanyi Nwanoro, 37, for dealing on counterfeit drug products and sentenced him with a fine of N.5million. He will serve five years imprisonment if he fails to pay the fine. The convict was prosecuted by the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). He was charged with a five count of illegal possession and sale of counterfeit C of ‘N’Cold with codeine syrup.

The convict pleaded guilty to one of the charges prompting the prosecution, Umar Shamaki to review the facts of the case before the court.
As a result, the trial judge convicted the suspect with an option of fine to the tune of N500,000.

In his plea of allocutus (plea of mercy), the convict said he is a first offender and did not waste the time of the court.
According to him, he is now remorseful of his action and so would never commit such offence again if given the chance.

The court after listening to the allocutus of the convict, condemned his action and lamented the effects of taken codeine by youths, which is as a result of the action of people like the convict, adding that such should not be tolerated.
The court commended the prosecution and NAFDAC for doing a good job and urged it to continue to rid the country of counterfeit and fake drugs.