The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria has sealed 505 illegal and non-compliant drug premises across Cross River State following a four-day enforcement blitz. The council's team inspected 602 outlets across 10 local government areas and discovered that nearly half were operating without proper regulatory approval.
Ibrahim Bahashehu Ahmed, the council's registrar, disclosed the findings on Friday while addressing journalists in Calabar. He revealed that inspectors uncovered 291 entirely illegal outlets, which they sealed immediately.
Beyond the completely unlicensed shops, the operation also shut down 54 pharmacies and 160 patent medicine stores for breaching establishment guidelines and regulatory standards. The council issued 13 compliance directives to other operators, giving them time to address violations.
Ahmed, represented by Dr Suleiman Chiroma at the briefing, described the findings as "a dismal performance of regulation in the state." He noted that compliance rates among licensed businesses remain worryingly low.
Only 42.5 per cent of registered pharmacies met full compliance standards, he said. Among patent medicine vendors, just 26.8 per cent satisfied regulatory requirements.
The registrar pointed to a recent court case to underscore the council's strengthened enforcement powers. Mrs Ezea Asidora Kamchekwube, who operated two unlicensed shops in Calabar, received an eight-year prison sentence from the Federal High Court.
"This case demonstrates that the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria's enforcement actions now carry real legal weight," Ahmed stated. "We're moving beyond administrative sanctions to criminal prosecution."
The scale of non-compliance has alarmed regulators, with nearly half of all inspected premises found to be operating illegally. This suggests systemic gaps in the council's oversight across the state.
The enforcement exercise represents a significant crackdown on unregulated pharmaceutical distribution. Officials say further operations will follow to ensure compliance throughout Cross River.
