Nigerian govt shuts down 3 pharmaceuticals after codeine cough syrup exposé

Three major pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria have been forced to suspend operations after they were shut down on Monday for their alleged involvement in the codeine cough syrup abuse among the youth in the country.

The companies; Emzor Pharmaceuticals Ind. Ltd., Peace Standard Pharmaceutical Limited, and Bioraj Pharmaceutical Limited were closed down by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for failing to fully co-operate with inspectors from the Agency.

“Due to insufficient evidence gathered and apparent resistance to provide needed documents during our inspection on May 2, 2018, at the respective companies in Ilorin and Lagos, respectively, it has become necessary to shut down all the product lines of the three companies – Peace Standard Pharmaceutical Limited, plots 3 & 8, Adewole Industrial Estate, Lubcon Avenue, Ilorin, Kwara State; Bioraj Pharmaceutical Limited, 405 Kaima Road, Ilorin, Kwara State and Emzor Pharmaceuticals Ind. Ltd., Ajao Estate, Lagos.

“This is to allow for a full and comprehensive investigation. The three companies, therefore, remain closed,” a statement published by local media and signed by the Director-General of the Agency, Mojisola Adeyeye said.

It added that the firms could reopen at a later date, but this depends on the “the level of co-operation that is shown during the comprehensive investigation.”

Last week, the agency banned the production and import of cough syrup containing codeine.

This followed a recent BBC investigation that revealed the syrup was being sold on the black market and was being used by people to get high.

Two of the pharmaceuticals involved – Bioraj and Peace Standard denied doing any wrong, with Emzor saying that it had dismissed the employee found in the video and had begun investigations.