NAFDAC: Court convicts father and son over illegal local gin production

NATIONAL Agency
for Food and Drug
Administration and
Control, NAFDAC has
secured the conviction
of father and son who
uses ethanol in the
production of local gin
(ogogoro/kai-kai) in
Ogume community,
Delta State.
The convicts
were convicted for
possession/production
of unwholesome
processed food and
storage of same; ethanol
( k a i – k a i / o g o g o r o )
under insanitary
condition.
Justice O. A. Faji
of the Federal High
Court Asaba sentenced
Isaac Uti, 58 and
his son Jonathan
Uti, 28 to 14 and 11
years imprisonment
respectively.
They were found
guilty of three-count
charges out of five count charges preferred against
them of possession of
unwholesome processed
food which contravenes
section 1 of Counterfeit
and Fake Drugs and
Unwholesome processed
Food (Miscellaneous
provisions) Act. CAP C34
LFN 2004 and punishable
under Section 3(a) of the
same act.
The offence also
contravened 1(3) of the
Food and Drug Act CAP
F32 LFN and punishable
under 17(1) of the same
act.
The second defendant,
Isaac Uti was sentenced
to seven years
imprisonment each on
count 1 and 2 without
any option of fine while
he got 18 months jail term
and a fine ofN250, 000 on
the 5th count charge.
The first defendant,
Jonathan Uti was
sentenced to five years
imprisonment each on
count 1 and 2 while he
got 18 months sentence
on count 5 without any
option of fine. All the
jail terms are to run
concurrently.
Justice Faji in passing
the judgment said
that he considered the
debilitating effect such
unwholesome practice
might have had on those
consuming the product.
“This act must have
impaired people’s health
and putting their life at
great risk,” he stated.
The NAFDAC counsel,
Adumen Jumbo
Washington hailed the
judgment attributing it to
diligent prosecution. He
said the judgment will
serve as a deterrent to
unscrupulous producers
who were out to
undermine the health of
unsuspecting Nigerians.
The long walk to jail for
the father and son started
sometime in September
2015 when NAFDAC
Enforcement operatives
led by the Director
Enforcement Directorate,
Mr. Kingsley Ejiofor with
detachment of policemen
swooped on them while
preparing and selling the
illicit product in Ogume
community in Ndokwa
LGA of Delta State.
About 72 drums of
ethanol were discovered
in their premises
including cans of formalin
and acetic acid suspected
to be part of the illicit
production which were
eventually destroyed.

Source: Nigeria Pilot