RismadarVoice Reporters
June 2, 2026
The Federal High Court sitting in Calabar, Cross River State, has sentenced a woman, Ezea Isidora Kamchukwube, to eight years’ imprisonment for illegally operating pharmaceutical premises without registration and permitting unqualified persons to dispense drugs.
The conviction followed her trial in a case filed by the Federal Government under Charge No: FHC/CA/76C/2025, between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the defendant.
Delivering judgment on Monday, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu found Kamchukwube guilty of operating unregistered pharmacies in Calabar in violation of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2022.
The court specifically found that the defendant unlawfully operated “24 Hours Pharmaceuticals” located along Marian Road, as well as another pharmaceutical outlet opposite Kokoz Cosmetics Shop on Abang Asang Street, Etta-Agbor Road, Calabar.
Justice Ojukwu held that the defendant’s actions contravened Sections 32(2), 53(d), 54(1), and 54(2) of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2022.
Based on the findings, the court sentenced her to eight years’ imprisonment.
Speaking after the judgment, Aliyu Okayode, Deputy Director in the Federal Ministry of Justice, Abuja, who represented the Federal Republic of Nigeria, said the prosecution successfully established that the defendant was operating pharmaceutical businesses without the registration and licences required by law.
“The charges of practising pharmacy without proper registration and licence under the law were brought against her. That is why we are here. That is the charge before the court,” Okayode said.
“We were able to establish before the court that she was indeed unregistered, and the court sentenced her for not complying,” he added.
The prosecutor described the judgment as part of ongoing efforts to curb the illegal operation of pharmaceutical premises and enforce compliance with regulations governing the sale and dispensing of medicines in Nigeria.
Counsel to the defendant, Ekpe Esor, declined to comment on the judgment and did not address journalists after the court proceedings.
The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, the statutory body responsible for regulating pharmacy practice in the country, has repeatedly warned against the dangers posed by unregistered drug outlets and the activities of unqualified persons involved in the sale and dispensing of medications.
Health authorities have linked such practices to the circulation of counterfeit and substandard medicines, medication errors, and other risks to public health.
