…says 1,631 drug outlets sealed in 2026, challenges task force chairman to provide evidence of alleged staff involvement
By Joseph Erunke, Abuja
The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) has denied allegations that it is shielding illicit drug dealers and facilitating the distribution of controlled substances in Kano State, insisting that it remains committed to enforcing pharmaceutical regulations.
The council described the allegations by the Chairman of the Kano State Multi-Agency Taskforce on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Muhuyi Magaji Rimin-Gado, as baseless and misleading, challenging him to provide verifiable evidence to substantiate his claims.
In a rebuttal issued on Saturday and signed by Pharm. Hasiya Ladan, Consultant Pharmacist at the PCN Kano State Office, on behalf of the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, the council disclosed that it sealed 1,631 pharmaceutical premises in Kano State in 2026 following inspections of 2,304 drug outlets.
It also said 15 investigations into suspected regulatory violations were ongoing in the state, while its national enforcement team had visited Kano twice this year, in April and September.
The rebuttal followed allegations made by Rimin-Gado at a press conference in Kano on November 14, where he accused the PCN and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) of allegedly protecting drug dealers operating in the state.
The task force chairman had, among other things, questioned the circumstances surrounding the issuance of import licences to pharmaceutical companies dealing in pregabalin, particularly after NAFDAC rescheduled the drug as a controlled substance on September 14, 2026.
He also accused the PCN of registering a pharmaceutical outlet at No. 10 Apple Avenue, allegedly located in a residential area, which he claimed was being used as a concealed distribution point for the drug.
Rimin-Gado further alleged that some PCN officials were involved in clandestine drug businesses and questioned the council’s capacity to effectively regulate pharmaceutical activities in Kano, citing its relatively small number of personnel in the state.
However, the PCN maintained that the regulation of pharmaceutical premises was a statutory federal responsibility backed by the Constitution, legislation and judicial pronouncements.
It cited Item 21 of Part I of the Second Schedule to the 1999 Constitution, arguing that drugs and poisons fall under the Exclusive Legislative List and that their regulation is therefore the responsibility of the Federal Government through authorised agencies.
The council also referenced the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (Establishment) Act 2022, the Supreme Court judgment in Pharmacists Board of Nigeria v. Franklin Adegbesote (1986), and a February 16, 2024 judgment of the Federal High Court, Kano, as legal authorities affirming its regulatory mandate.
On the allegation that it registered a pharmaceutical outlet in a residential neighbourhood in violation of the Land Use Act, the council said the task force chairman had failed to identify the specific provisions of the law allegedly breached.
It explained that its Pharmaceutical Premises Location, Inspection, Structure, Monitoring and Enforcement Regulations 2022 prescribe the requirements for the registration and location approval of pharmaceutical premises.
According to the council, the regulations do not prohibit the registration of pharmaceutical premises in residential areas, provided the facilities meet the applicable statutory requirements.
It added that whether a property designated for residential use could accommodate commercial pharmaceutical activities was not a determining factor in its assessment of applications for pharmaceutical location approval.
The PCN consequently dismissed the allegation that it facilitated unlawful activities by registering the premises, describing it as unsubstantiated.
On concerns about its enforcement capacity in Kano, the council explained that its regulatory framework operates through two established committees in every state: the Pharmaceutical Inspection Committee (PIC) and the Patent and Proprietary Medicines Vendors Licence Committee (PPMVLC).
It said the committees are chaired by Directors of Pharmaceutical Services in the respective state ministries of health, with state chapters of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria providing additional representation.
PCN officers serve as inspectors alongside other experienced pharmacists appointed to the committees, while the council’s state officer-in-charge serves as secretary and provides administrative support.
The arrangement, it said, enables the council to mobilise sufficient personnel for regulatory activities, adding that its enforcement capacity should not be measured solely by the number of officers permanently stationed in a state.
The council also cited the World Health Organisation’s Global Benchmarking assessment, which placed Nigeria at Maturity Level 3, as evidence of the country’s regulatory capacity.
It said the PCN and NAFDAC remained the only national regulatory authorities in Africa to have attained and retained the global ranking.
Pregabalin import licences
Addressing the controversy surrounding pregabalin imports, the council clarified that issuing import licences to pharmaceutical importation companies fell within its statutory responsibilities, while NAFDAC was responsible for issuing product permits specifying the categories and quantities of products authorised for importation.
It argued that the issuance of an import licence should not, in itself, be interpreted as evidence of wrongdoing, insisting that allegations of illegal distribution must be supported by evidence linking the products to specific violations.
On the Coordinated Wholesale Centre (CWC), which featured prominently in the task force chairman’s allegations, the PCN said the initiative was developed by the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to address the proliferation of open drug markets.
It explained that the initiative was designed to relocate identified and verified traders operating in open drug markets, including the Sabon Gari drug market in Kano, into a regulated wholesale environment.
However, the council stressed that the CWC arrangement did not prohibit independent pharmaceutical wholesalers, distributors, importers and warehouse operators from establishing separate facilities for legitimate business activities.
It therefore rejected the suggestion that registering an independent pharmaceutical premises outside the CWC amounted to undermining the objectives of the initiative.
The council disclosed that CWC development was ongoing in Lagos, Anambra and Imo states, while Abia, Kaduna, Oyo and Gombe had secured approvals but were yet to commence construction.
Challenges chairman to provide evidence
On the allegation that some of its personnel were involved in illegal drug businesses, the PCN challenged Rimin-Gado to provide the names of the officials concerned, specific cases or other verifiable evidence to support his claims.
It said it would not hesitate to investigate and sanction any staff member found culpable of misconduct, but cautioned against making sweeping allegations against public officials without evidence.
The council also highlighted its monitoring framework for controlled medicines, disclosing that it had developed and deployed the Disposal of Poison Records, known as Form K, with support from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), NAFDAC and other pharmaceutical stakeholders.
Under the arrangement, it said all categories of pharmaceutical premises, including hospitals, were required to maintain records of controlled substances sold, distributed or dispensed.
It added that facilities found negligent in maintaining the required records were liable to appropriate regulatory sanctions.
Reaffirming its commitment to combating drug abuse and the unauthorised distribution of controlled medicines, the PCN said efforts to tackle illicit drugs required cooperation among regulatory agencies rather than institutional intimidation and unsubstantiated accusations.
It urged the Kano task force chairman to submit any credible evidence of misconduct involving its personnel or registered pharmaceutical premises for investigation, insisting that it remained open to legitimate scrutiny.
The council, however, warned that allegations capable of undermining public confidence in established regulatory institutions should not be made without verifiable facts.
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