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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Crime & Justice

Court dismisses fundamental rights case against PCN, NSCDC

From The Punch · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • A Nigerian court dismissed a fundamental rights lawsuit filed by alleged illegal medicine dealers against the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
  • The claimants accused officials of infringing on their rights and unlawfully sealing their premises.
  • The judge ruled in favor of the defendants, stating the applicants failed to substantiate their claims.

The Federal High Court in Calabar has delivered a decisive victory for regulatory bodies, dismissing a fundamental rights enforcement suit brought by individuals accused of operating illegal pharmaceutical premises. The claimants, Ezea Isidora Kamchukwube and associates, alleged that officials from the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) violated their rights when their unregistered pharmacies were sealed and they faced prosecution.

The applicants have failed to substantiate their claims against the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria and other respondents. Therefore, the case has been dismissed

· Justice Ijeoma OjukwuDelivering judgment in the fundamental rights enforcement suit.

Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, presiding over the case, found the applicants' claims unsubstantiated. The court's ruling underscores the PCN's authority to regulate pharmaceutical practices and enforce compliance with licensing requirements. The PCN, represented by Legal Officer Mr. Mfena Gar, highlighted that the applicants, not being registered pharmacists, were operating pharmacies stocked with prescription medicines without proper authorization.

We were sued as the first respondent in the fundamental human rights matter. Related News Court urged to reverse Honda-HAWA merger Oyo electoral commission, NSCDC deepen collaboration for credible LG election How EFCC hunted down ex-power minister Mamman “In an enforcement of fundamental human rights matter filed by the applicants, which is a defendant in the criminal matter. Today we had the judgment delivered in our favour,”

· Mr. Mfena GarExplaining the case details after the judgment.

This judgment reinforces the importance of adhering to regulatory frameworks within Nigeria's health sector. The PCN's actions, including sealing the premises and initiating prosecution, were deemed lawful by the court, as the applicants failed to prove any infringement of their fundamental rights. The matter serves as a clear message to those operating outside the established legal and professional standards within the pharmaceutical industry.

The court held that they have not been able to prove that their fundamental rights were indeed infringed by the respondents in this matter and accordingly dismissed the matter

· Mr. Mfena GarSummarizing the court's decision regarding the infringement of rights.
About this summary

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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