The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has called for immediate and decisive action against illegal drug markets, branding those involved as “merchants of death.”
In a statement signed by National Chairman Pharm. Ezeh Ambrose and National Secretary Pharm. Ashore Omokhafe, the ACPN demanded penalties of N20 million to N50 million and a minimum 20-year jail term for drug counterfeiters, criticizing current punishments as inadequate.
“A mere N500,000 fine and a five-year jail term are an insult to the victims of these crimes,” the statement read.
The ACPN commended recent efforts by the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to establish Coordinated Wholesale Centres (CWCs) but urged authorities to accelerate the relocation of drug markets in Lagos, Ibadan, Enugu, and Maiduguri.
They also called for intensified raids on illegal markets, particularly in Mushin, Agege, and Orile in Lagos. The association urged the National Assembly to amend the Fake Drug Act to empower regulatory agencies and strengthen enforcement.
“The time for half-measures is over,” the statement concluded. “We must protect Nigerians from these deadly counterfeit drugs.”
