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

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".