Pharmaceutical Society faults arraignment of two pharmacists for the murder of Cynthia Osokogu

The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria has faulted the arraignment of two pharmacists, Orji Osita and Maduakor Chukwunonso, for the murder of Cynthia Osokogu, who was killed on July 22, 2012.

Orji and Maduakor were alongside Okwmo Nwabufo and Ezike Olisaeloka on Monday at a Yaba Chief Magistrate Court. They were charged with eight offences.

But at a press conference on Thursday, the President, PSN, Mr. Azubike Okwor, said both pharmacists were people who should have punished separately if at all.

  He said, “If the liability of the two pharmacists is limited to the alleged sales of Rohypnol to clients they do not know and never collaborated with in this condemnable crime, then it is logical to believe that at best there might have been breaches of professional ethics. It should not constitute criminal offences.

“The law provides that such matters are dealt with by the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, a regulatory agency of the Federal Government established by Cap. P.17 LFN 2004.

  “Maduakor was on duty in Oxpharm on Monday, August 20, 2012 when a gentleman requested to buy Rohypnol. Nonso asked him for a prescription and he said he does not have one. The gentleman begged Maduakor who considered his request on compassionate grounds and dispensed to him one (1) card of 10 tablets of flunitrazapam along with one (1) card of paracetamol.

The gentleman later came with other persons, arrested Nonso and accused him of selling drug without prescription. They then took him to the police station and detained him. On the seventh day, they transferred him to Panti, where he was taken to a magistrate’s court and was charged with conspiracy, murder, armed robbery, rape and administering obnoxious substances to Miss Cynthia Osokogu who was killed by two known persons a month earlier in July 2012.

“Orji is a locum pharmacist with Oxpharm and works evening shifts. The police alleged that he was the pharmacist on duty when the suspected killer of Cynthia bought Rohypnol from Oxpharm. Osita made statement that he did not know the murderers and could not recall meeting them. He was also detained and taken to the court and charged.

“We urge the Office of the Public Prosecution in the Ministry of Justice to immediately review the cases of these pharmacists with a view to advising the relevant authorities on how best to tackle this matter and to ensure that the innocent is not persecuted unjustly.”