Woman Jailed for Operating Illegal Pharmacy in Cross River

A woman was sentenced to prison for operating an illegal pharmacy in Cross River, as ruled by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu. The judgment, delivered on August 2024, found the defendant guilty of multiple offenses, including operating pharmaceutical outlets without the required registration and dispensing medicine without a license.

The case was filed under the Federal Republic of Nigeria Suit No. FHC/CA/76C/2025, with the prosecution led by Aliyu Okayod from the Federal Ministry of Justice.

The court established that the defendant operated two pharmaceutical outlets in Calabar, specifically located along Marian Road and opposite Kokoz Cosmetic Shop on Abang Asang Street, without authorization from the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN). The court also noted that the defendant tampered with enforcement measures during a previous operation by breaking seals on the premises.

The court imposed a prison sentence as prescribed by law and directed security agencies to arrest the defendant if she is apprehended again. Counsel for the defense, Ekp Esor, declined to comment on the judgment.