The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has issued a strong call for immediate, decisive action to combat the illegal drug trade in the country, labeling those involved as “merchants of death.” In a statement signed by ACPN’s National Chairman, Pharm. Ezeh Ambrose, and National Secretary, Pharm. Ashore Omokhafe, the association is demanding significant penalties for drug counterfeiters, including fines ranging from N20 million to N50 million and jail terms of up to 20 years.
The ACPN called for a substantial increase in the efforts of regulatory agencies and state governments to tackle the growing problem of illicit drug markets. They also urged the National Assembly to pass tougher laws and impose harsher penalties for offenders.
While the ACPN acknowledged the recent regulatory actions by the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), including the establishment of Coordinated Wholesale Centres (CWCs), they argued that these efforts were not enough. The association praised the cooperation of stakeholders in relocating drug markets to CWCs but stressed that the fight against illegal drug sales requires stronger measures.
“We cannot afford to be complacent,” the ACPN said. “The lives of Nigerians are at risk. These illegal drug markets are breeding grounds for counterfeit and substandard medications, which are killing our people. Immediate action is needed with the utmost urgency.”
The association criticized the current penalties for drug-related offenses, calling them grossly inadequate. “A fine of N500,000 and a five-year jail term are an insult to the victims of these crimes,” they said. “We demand penalties of at least N20 million to N50 million and sentences of at least 20 years to serve as a true deterrent.”
The ACPN also urged the PCN and NAFDAC to intensify their raids and surveillance, focusing not just on major drug markets but also on smaller, hidden markets in areas such as Mushin, Agege, and Orile in Lagos, as well as other locations across the country. They called for the immediate enforcement of the 2018 directive to relocate drug markets in cities like Ibadan, Enugu, and Maiduguri to CWCs and pushed for the swift completion of CWC infrastructure in Lagos, Anambra, and Abia States.
In addition, the ACPN called on the National Assembly to urgently amend the Fake Drug Act to strengthen the collaboration between PCN and NAFDAC and implement more stringent penalties. They also emphasized the need for federal and state task forces to be fully equipped with qualified pharmaceutical and drug/food inspectors to ensure the success of these efforts.
“We are demanding a ‘no retreat, no surrender’ approach,” the ACPN concluded. “The time for half-measures is over. We must protect the lives of Nigerians from these merchants of death.”
