By Chioma Obinna

The Lagos State government has stated that the rationale behind the closure of Idumota drug market was necessitated by the persistent defiance of government’s stipulated regulation on drug production, importation, manufacture, sales or display for sales, hawking, distribution, adulteration, and possession of drugs by illegal operators.

In a statement on the raid, which saw the closure of 1,253 outlets, Special Adviser to the State Governor on Health, Pharm. Toyin Hamzat who expressed worry that data at the ministry’s disposal revealed that the number of open drug markets which were few in 1988 now exists in virtually every state capital of the country alleged that appropriate licensing authority, Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN) has not registered any pharmaceutical company in Idumota area since 1992 after it had given prior alerts through public notices in the media.

“Despite the dangers pose by the nefarious activities of illegal operators of patent and proprietary medicine and pharmaceutical stores in the State as well as the provisions of the law as stipulated by the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria Act of 1992 and the Registration of Pharmaceutical Premises Regulation Law of 2005, all of which outlines requirements for registration and renewal of pharmaceutical premises, culpability and punishment for offenders, people still chose to stay on the wrong side of the law.”

He said the various vitiation of the law by operators in the Idumota drug market must be halted by any responsible government. Blaming the chaotic drug distribution system on open drug markets, he warned about the security implication of such system. “As at 1988, the four major drug markets in Nigeria were those at Idumota in Lagos, Ariria in Aba, Head Bridge in Onitsha and Sabongari in Kano. We now have new drug markets at Agege, Ikotun/Egbe, Mushin, Trade fair complex, Alaba Rago and other places in the Lagos metropolis.”

Hamzat urged stakeholders and consumers to always purchase their drugs from a duly registered pharmacy or patent medicine stores which can be identified by a signboard indicating that such Pharmacy or Patent Medicine shops are duly registered and licensed.