316 cartoons, additional two trucks loaded with alleged fake medicine recovered Police reject N3m bribe to free suspects, exhibits By Evelyn Usman From the outside, 7A Otto Causeway, Otto, Lagos, looked like just another warehouse in a busy commercial neighbourhood. There were no suspicious markings or other signs to suggest that the warehouse was anything more than an ordinary commercial building. Yet, detectives believe it had allegedly been used for more than two years to repackage suspected adulterated medicines for distribution across Nigeria and beyond. To residents, the routine was unremarkable. There were no suspicious markings or other signs to suggest that the warehouse was anything more than an ordinary commercial building. Yet, detectives believe it had allegedly been used for more than two years to repackage suspected adulterated medicines for distribution across Nigeria and beyond. To residents, the routine was unremarkable. Trucks came and went, workers arrived, vehicles were loaded, and business appeared to continue as usual. Unknown to many, however, detectives were gradually piecing together evidence that pointed to a wider pharmaceutical network. Buried in a truck The breakthrough came when operatives of the Lagos State Police Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), headed by CSP Oyindamola Oremosu, acting on intelligence gathered over several weeks, intercepted a truck reportedly believed to be conveying second-hand clothes. It was not clothes that detectives found. Instead, the truck was allegedly loaded with suspected counterfeit and adulterated pharmaceutical products.The discovery led to the arrest of two suspects, Eze Okwudilichukwu, 52, and Chukwudi Mba, 42. According to police, the suspects were questioned as detectives sought to establish where the products were allegedly manufactured and identify others believed to be connected with the operation. But investigators reportedly encountered resistance as they tried to obtain information about the source of the medicines and the alleged masterminds behind the operation. Inside the warehouse What they found, according to the police, raised fresh concerns about the scale of the operation. Investigators believe the premises was being used to repackage suspected adulterated pharmaceutical products allegedly meant for distribution across Nigeria and neighbouring West African countries. For millions of Nigerians who buy medicines over the counter, trusting that what they swallow will heal rather than harm, the discovery raises a disturbing question: How easily can a dangerous product move from an obscure warehouse into the hands of an unsuspecting patient? Speaking on the operation, Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Tijani Fatai, said the suspects, following their arrest and interrogation, led detectives to another warehouse where a duly executed search warrant was carried out. According to him, the search resulted in the recovery of a truck loaded with large quantities of suspected adulterated pharmaceutical products, with registration number KFR 241 XA (Katsina), alongside other exhibits. Items recovered Among the items recovered, he said, were about 300 cartons of suspected adulterated Omeprazole, six bags containing unpackaged suspected adulterated Viagra, Ampiclox, Septrin, Piriton and other pharmaceutical products, as well as about 10 cartons of suspected adulterated Ampiclox, Viagra and other drugs. More than 300 empty printed packs and cartons allegedly used in repackaging the suspected counterfeit medicines were also recovered. For investigators, the packaging materials could prove significant, potentially offering clues about how the products were allegedly prepared and presented before entering the market. A network beyond Lagos The investigation, according to CP Fatai, suggested that the operation was neither new nor confined to Lagos. He said : “Preliminary investigations revealed that the criminal syndicate has been engaged in the repackaging and distribution of suspected adulterated pharmaceutical products for over two years. “Investigations also suggest that the suspected adulterated drugs are being manufactured somewhere within Lagos State”, he stated. He added that further investigation indicated that the medicines were allegedly transported to different parts of Nigeria, with substantial quantities reportedly destined for Lomé, Togo, suggesting a possible transnational distribution network. He said detectives had intensified efforts to identify the suspected facility, dismantle it, arrest those connected with the operation and bring them before the law. ₦3m pressure allegation But the investigation soon took another turn. According to the CP, “It is pertinent to state that since the arrest of the
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