The Supreme Court has sentenced two staff of Barewa
Pharmaceutical Company Limited to seven years in prison over the
deaths of at least 80 children as a result of an adulterated
teething medicine in 2008. Justice Paul Adamu Galinje, who
delivered lead judgement, upheld concurrent judgments of a Lagos
High Court and the Court of Appeal which sentenced the two persons,
Adeyemo Abiodun and Ebele Eromosele, to seven years imprisonment
each for producing and selling the contaminated teething formula
known as My Pikin.
The convicts were employees of the Barewa Pharmaceutical Company
Ltd., Lagos. They were prosecuted by the National Agency for Food
and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC. Both the High Court
and the Court of Appeal found the duo that made My
Pikin syrup guilty of conspiracy and sale of the
adulterated teething mixture, which caused the death of more than
80 children in Nigeria.
After children started dying in 2008, the mixture was found to
contain engine coolant. The paracetamol-based syrup, used for
treating sore gums, was found to have been contaminated with
diethylene glycol, used as an engine coolant. It caused the babies’
kidneys to fail. In unanimous judgement of Justices Olukayode
Ariwoola, Kumai Bayang Aka’ahs, Amina Adamu Augie and Ejembi Eko of
the Supreme Court delivered on February 2, 2018, the court ordered
that the Barewa Pharmaceutical Company Limited be wound up and its
assets forfeited to the Federal Government.
Justice Galinje who read the lead judgement stated, ‘’The law is
settled that where the decision of a trial court is substantially
based on the exercise of discretion, an appellate court will not
interfere with the discretion unless the trial court failed to
exercise discretion judiciously and judicially.
‘’In the instant case, the exercise of the trial court’s
discretion with regard to the sentence it passed was neither
frivolous nor arbitrary. Since the discretion is always unfettered,
this court cannot take steps to fetter such discretion, except for
good and substantial reasons.
‘’The appeal herein is against the concurrent findings of the
trial court and court of appeal with respect to the 4th count of
the charge upon which the appellant was tried and convicted. It is
therefore not in the character of this court to interfere with such
findings. ‘’ For reasons I have alluded to herein, I decline to
interfere with the sentence imposed on the appellant.
‘’Having resolved the vital issues against the appellant, this
appeal shall be and it is hereby dismissed. The judgement of the
trial court with respect to the 4th count of the charge, as
affirmed by the court of appeal is further affirmed by me. Appeal
dismissed; Justice Galinje held. The Court of Appeal, Lagos
Division, on May 31, 2016 upheld the judgment of a high court,
which sentenced the two employees to seven years imprisonment each
for selling a killer teething syrup- “My Pikin”.
Justice Okechukwu Okeke of a Federal High Court in Lagos had
sentenced Adeyemo Abiodun and Ebele Eromosele on May 17, 2013 for
selling the syrup known as “My Pikin’’. The convicts were employees
of the Barewa Pharmaceutical Company Ltd., Lagos. They were
prosecuted by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration
and Control, NAFDAC.
Mr. Okeke found the duo guilty of conspiracy and sale of the
adulterated teething mixture, which caused the death of more than
80 children in Nigeria. Mr. Okeke had ordered that the company
should wind up and its asset forfeited to the federal government.
Delivering the lead judgment in an appeal against Mr. Okeke’s
judgment, Justice Dauda Bage affirmed the seven years sentence, but
reversed the order for winding up and forfeiture.
The judge held that the prosecution sufficiently proved that the
men committed the offences. He said that the prosecution provided a
certificate of scientific evaluation from its laboratory, which
clearly showed that the recovered products contained a toxic
substance. “I am satisfied that the issue formulated by the
respondents in their brief is all-encompassing, and sufficiently
satisfies the issues raised in the appellants’ brief.
“The respondents stated that the appellants supplied batch 02008
of the teething syrup to Roka Pharmacy, which after recovery and
scientific evaluation, contained a contaminant called
dyethyleneglycol. “The appellants, upon discovery of the harm
caused by the product, wrote a letter to Roka Pharmacy to stop sale
and withdraw same from customers.
“At this time, about three and half cartons, 34 bottles of the
products were left. “I cannot find any iota of denial from the
appellants that they were not present when the recovered samples
were being packaged at the respondent’s office. “They have also not
challenged the accuracy or capacity of NAFDAC to carry out the
scientific evaluation.
“The requirement of the law, in a matter of this nature, is the
provision of a certificate of scientific evaluation, and this court
is satisfied that the NAFDAC certificate, constitute sufficient
scientific requirement to secure the conviction of the
appellants.
“It is in this regard, that the seven years sentence on the
convicts by the trial court, is hereby affirmed,” he held.
On the issue of winding up, the judge held that the order of the
trial court which directed all asset of the company be forfeited to
the Federal Government, was outside the provisions of the law.
“The Federal High Court may make orders for forfeitures, but
such orders by the provision of the law, refers to finished
goods.
“The appropriate order the court would have made is for batch
02008 of the product to be forfeited to the Federal Government and
not the entire asset of the company.
“This appeal therefore succeeds in part; the order of forfeiture
made by the trial court is hereby reversed. “It is hereby ordered
that batch 02008 of the product be forfeited to the Federal
Government,” Justice Bage said. The judgment of the appellate court
was assented to by Justices Tijani Abubakar and Shagbaor Ikyegh.
The convicts were re-arraigned before the lower court on January 7,
and had pleaded not guilty.
In the trial, NAFDAC called a total of seven witnesses, while
the appellants testified for themselves. The counsel to the
appellants, Osaro Eghobamien, had appealed against the lower
court’s judgment on June 26, saying that it lacked merit.
The Supreme Court has sentenced two staff of Barewa
Pharmaceutical Company Limited to seven years in prison over the
deaths of at least 80 children as a result of an adulterated
teething medicine in 2008. Justice Paul Adamu Galinje, who
delivered lead judgement, upheld concurrent judgments of a Lagos
High Court and the Court of Appeal which sentenced the two persons,
Adeyemo Abiodun and Ebele Eromosele, to seven years imprisonment
each for producing and selling the contaminated teething formula
known as My Pikin.
The convicts were employees of the Barewa Pharmaceutical Company
Ltd., Lagos. They were prosecuted by the National Agency for Food
and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC. Both the High Court
and the Court of Appeal found the duo that made My
Pikin syrup guilty of conspiracy and sale of the
adulterated teething mixture, which caused the death of more than
80 children in Nigeria.
After children started dying in 2008, the mixture was found to
contain engine coolant. The paracetamol-based syrup, used for
treating sore gums, was found to have been contaminated with
diethylene glycol, used as an engine coolant. It caused the babies’
kidneys to fail. In unanimous judgement of Justices Olukayode
Ariwoola, Kumai Bayang Aka’ahs, Amina Adamu Augie and Ejembi Eko of
the Supreme Court delivered on February 2, 2018, the court ordered
that the Barewa Pharmaceutical Company Limited be wound up and its
assets forfeited to the Federal Government.
Justice Galinje who read the lead judgement stated, ‘’The law is
settled that where the decision of a trial court is substantially
based on the exercise of discretion, an appellate court will not
interfere with the discretion unless the trial court failed to
exercise discretion judiciously and judicially.
‘’In the instant case, the exercise of the trial court’s
discretion with regard to the sentence it passed was neither
frivolous nor arbitrary. Since the discretion is always unfettered,
this court cannot take steps to fetter such discretion, except for
good and substantial reasons.
‘’The appeal herein is against the concurrent findings of the
trial court and court of appeal with respect to the 4th count of
the charge upon which the appellant was tried and convicted. It is
therefore not in the character of this court to interfere with such
findings. ‘’ For reasons I have alluded to herein, I decline to
interfere with the sentence imposed on the appellant.
‘’Having resolved the vital issues against the appellant, this
appeal shall be and it is hereby dismissed. The judgement of the
trial court with respect to the 4th count of the charge, as
affirmed by the court of appeal is further affirmed by me. Appeal
dismissed; Justice Galinje held. The Court of Appeal, Lagos
Division, on May 31, 2016 upheld the judgment of a high court,
which sentenced the two employees to seven years imprisonment each
for selling a killer teething syrup- “My Pikin”.
Justice Okechukwu Okeke of a Federal High Court in Lagos had
sentenced Adeyemo Abiodun and Ebele Eromosele on May 17, 2013 for
selling the syrup known as “My Pikin’’. The convicts were employees
of the Barewa Pharmaceutical Company Ltd., Lagos. They were
prosecuted by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration
and Control, NAFDAC.
Mr. Okeke found the duo guilty of conspiracy and sale of the
adulterated teething mixture, which caused the death of more than
80 children in Nigeria. Mr. Okeke had ordered that the company
should wind up and its asset forfeited to the federal government.
Delivering the lead judgment in an appeal against Mr. Okeke’s
judgment, Justice Dauda Bage affirmed the seven years sentence, but
reversed the order for winding up and forfeiture.
The judge held that the prosecution sufficiently proved that the
men committed the offences. He said that the prosecution provided a
certificate of scientific evaluation from its laboratory, which
clearly showed that the recovered products contained a toxic
substance. “I am satisfied that the issue formulated by the
respondents in their brief is all-encompassing, and sufficiently
satisfies the issues raised in the appellants’ brief.
“The respondents stated that the appellants supplied batch 02008
of the teething syrup to Roka Pharmacy, which after recovery and
scientific evaluation, contained a contaminant called
dyethyleneglycol. “The appellants, upon discovery of the harm
caused by the product, wrote a letter to Roka Pharmacy to stop sale
and withdraw same from customers.
“At this time, about three and half cartons, 34 bottles of the
products were left. “I cannot find any iota of denial from the
appellants that they were not present when the recovered samples
were being packaged at the respondent’s office. “They have also not
challenged the accuracy or capacity of NAFDAC to carry out the
scientific evaluation.
“The requirement of the law, in a matter of this nature, is the
provision of a certificate of scientific evaluation, and this court
is satisfied that the NAFDAC certificate, constitute sufficient
scientific requirement to secure the conviction of the
appellants.
“It is in this regard, that the seven years sentence on the
convicts by the trial court, is hereby affirmed,” he held.
On the issue of winding up, the judge held that the order of the
trial court which directed all asset of the company be forfeited to
the Federal Government, was outside the provisions of the law.
“The Federal High Court may make orders for forfeitures, but
such orders by the provision of the law, refers to finished
goods.
“The appropriate order the court would have made is for batch
02008 of the product to be forfeited to the Federal Government and
not the entire asset of the company.
“This appeal therefore succeeds in part; the order of forfeiture
made by the trial court is hereby reversed. “It is hereby ordered
that batch 02008 of the product be forfeited to the Federal
Government,” Justice Bage said. The judgment of the appellate court
was assented to by Justices Tijani Abubakar and Shagbaor Ikyegh.
The convicts were re-arraigned before the lower court on January 7,
and had pleaded not guilty.
In the trial, NAFDAC called a total of seven witnesses, while
the appellants testified for themselves. The counsel to the
appellants, Osaro Eghobamien, had appealed against the lower
court’s judgment on June 26, saying that it lacked merit.
Read more https://nairalaw.com/supreme-court-jails-2-over-poisonous-drug/