Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Federal High Court sitting in Calabar, Cross River State, has sentenced a woman, Ezea Isidora Kamchukwube, to eight years imprisonment for operating an illegal pharmacy in the state capital. The judgment was delivered on Monday, 1 June 2026, by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, who found the defendant guilty on multiple counts relating to the unlawful operation of pharmaceutical premises without registration with the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN).
The convict was arraigned before the court on charges bordering on operating pharmacies without registration and allowing unqualified persons to dispense drugs, contrary to the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2022. The case was filed under Charge No: FHC/CA/76C/2025 between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the defendant. According to the charge sheet, the defendant operated “24 Hours Pharmaceuticals” along Marian Road and another pharmacy opposite Kokoz Cosmetics Shop on Abang Asang Street, Etta-Agbor Road, Calabar, without being registered as a pharmacist or obtaining the requisite licence from the PCN.
In her judgment, Justice Ojukwu noted that officials of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria had sealed the two shops after a routine inspection and enforcement exercise, but the convict later unsealed the premises and continued operations without lawful authority. The court held that the actions violated Sections 32(2), 54(1), 54(2) and 53(d) of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2022. The judge also found that the defendant practiced in the capacity of a registered pharmacist, vendor and pharmaceutical representative while not being registered, an offence under Section 32(2) of the Act.
Justice Ojukwu ruled that the prosecution had successfully established the offences beyond reasonable doubt and accordingly found the defendant guilty as charged. The court sentenced Ezea Isidora Kamchukwube to eight years imprisonment. The judge also ordered that the convict serve her sentence at the appropriate correctional facility.
The Deputy Director of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Abuja, Aliyu Okayode, who represented the Federal Republic of Nigeria, told journalists after the proceedings that the judgment was a significant step towards clamping down on individuals operating pharmaceutical premises without registration. “The charges of practising pharmacy without proper registration and licence under the law were brought against her. That is why we are here. We were able to establish before the court that she was indeed unregistered. And the court sentenced her for not complying,” Okayode said.
Counsel to the defendant, Ekpe Esor Esq., declined to comment on the matter and failed to grant interviews to journalists who were in court. Meanwhile, the defendant was absent from court during the delivery of the judgment, and the judge ordered security agencies to arrest her and ensure she is remanded to serve her sentence.
The conviction follows a fundamental rights enforcement suit earlier filed by the same convict against the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), which was dismissed by the same court on 21 May 2026. In that case, Justice Ojukwu ruled that the applicants, who are not pharmacists, had failed to substantiate their claims that their fundamental rights were infringed when the PCN sealed their illegal pharmaceutical premises during a regulatory operation. The court held that the applicants were found operating two illegal pharmacies stocked with prescription medicines without being registered and licensed by the PCN.
The judgment has been hailed by stakeholders in the pharmaceutical industry as a victory for public health and a warning to illegal medicine dealers who endanger lives by dispensing drugs without proper qualifications. It also underscores the commitment of the Federal Government and regulatory agencies to enforce laws governing pharmaceutical practice and ensure that only qualified professionals are allowed to dispense medication to the public.
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