‘My Pikin’ killer syrup manufacturers bag 7-year jail term, court winds-up company

Two employees of Barewa Pharmaceutical Company Ltd, Adeyemo Abiodun and Ebele Eromosele, were on Friday sentenced to seven years imprisonment by a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos.

The company and its employees were docked on a six-count charge of the production of a killer syrup, “my pikin.”

A mild drama played out, midway into the judgment, as one of the convicts, Adeyemo Abiodun, suddenly began to collapse. Consequently, the presiding judge, Justice Okechukwu Okeke summoned the medical doctor in charge of the Federal High Court.

After examining the accused, the doctor confirmed he was hypertensive, and his blood pressure, very high.

Delivering his judgement, the judge convicted the accused on two counts, while he acquitted them of four counts.

He accordingly sentenced the accused to seven years imprisonment each on the offence, while he ordered the company to be compulsorily wound up and its assets forfeited to the Federal Government.

He said: “The prosecution tendered several exhibits in the trial of the accused, but failed to lead evidence that the accused actually produced the adulterated drugs.

“I hereby find the accused not guilty of counts one, two, five and six, dealing with production and adulteration of drugs, while I find them guilty of counts three and four which is conspiracy and sale of the drugs. “The accused are hereby convicted as charged”.