As judge admits newspaper report saying no death was recorded from use of the drug at LUTH
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, on Monday admitted as evidence, a newspaper report that no death was recorded at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) over the ingestion of the controversial teething mixture, ‘My Pikin’.
The report, which was credited to the Hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Prof. Akin Osibogun, was admitted by Justice Okechukwu Okeke.
The drug manufacturer, Kola Okunlola, along with his company, Barewa Pharmaceutical Ltd, and two of his employees, Adeyemo Abiodun and Egbele Eromosele, are standing trial for negligence in the production of the drug which allegedly claimed the lives of children in some parts of the country.
The defence counsel, Osaro Eghobamien, tendered a copy of a newspaper report where Osibogun stated that no child died in his hospital after ingesting the drug.
Eghobamien also told the court that he obtained the newspaper report from the National Library.
The first prosecution witness examined was Hauwa Keri, NAFDAC’s Director of Examination and Inspections.
Keri, however, testified that the agency retrieved some samples of the deadly mixture from LUTH.
She said she was also informed by the Chief Pharmacist of the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria in Kaduna State, that some children died after taking the drug.
“I then informed the then Director-General of the agency, Prof. Dora Akunyili, who directed that a team of investigators be set up and dispatched to ABUTH, LUTH and the University College Hospital, Ibadan,” she said.
Keri also informed the court that all the children who took the drug at the various hospitals ended up with renal failure.
The case was adjourned to May 15, 2012 when the second prosecution witness is expected to mount the stands.
