Cynthia Osokogu's murder Latest: Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) intervenes on behalf of arrested pharmacists

The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), on Thursday, called on Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in Lagos, to ensure that its members who are in police custody, in connection with Cynthia Osokogu’s death, are not unjustly punished.

Addressing journalists in the state, PSN President, Azubike Okwor, said the two pharmacists, Osita Orji, 32, and Chukwunonso Maduokor, 25, arrested for allegedly selling Rohypnol Flunitrazepam to the suspected killers of Cynthia without prescription, should not have been charged to court.

He said the power to penalise members found guilty of selling the drug without proper prescription lies with the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria.

“We have reviewed the cases and we cannot understand why they are charged. If they have sold the drugs without prescription, there is a procedure already in place that provides how such matters are dealt with by the PCN,” he said.

Both pharmacists were arraigned together with the suspected killers of the deceased before a Yaba Magistrate Court on Monday.

The suspected killers, Okwumo Nwabufo and Ezike Olisaeloka, were said to have purchased the drug, most commonly known as date-rape drug, which was allegedly used on the deceased.

Okwor, however, insisted that the council should be left to handle the issue if the pharmacists’ culpability was limited to the sale of the drug to unfamiliar clients “and never collaborated with suspects in the condemnable crime”.

He also stressed that the council was not attempting to interfere with ongoing investigation into the matter.

“It is logical to believe that at best, there might have been breaches of professional ethics and should be handled by PCN which is also a Federal Government agency," he added.

“It is advocating that if the suspects were not found guilty of the crime of rape and armed robbery, they should be handed over to the PCN to discipline them for selling drugs without prescription.”

The two pharmacists are facing an eight-count charge of conspiracy, murder, armed robbery, rape and others.