The Court of Appeal Ibadan Division has reaffirmed the conviction and sentence of one Osinlu Dongo Tayo (male), a pharmacy technician and a member of the National Association of Pharmaceutical Technologists and Pharmacy Technicians of Nigeria (NAPTTON).

Tayo was tried and convicted by the Federal High Court, Abeokuta, on a five-count charge and sentenced to a concurrent term of imprisonment to five years without option of fine and further fine of N10,000 and in default of payment to further term of imprisonment to six months.

In a statement on Thursday, the Registrar, Pharmacy Company of Nigeria (PCN), Ibrahim Ahmed, said the large consignment of drugs illegally stocked and being sold by the convict was also ordered to be forfeited to the Federal Government.

Ahmed said in May 2019, the convict was found by PCN enforcement team to have heavily stocked his illegal medicine shop named STAYILDOSH Pharmacy at Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, with all classes of medicines without being registered and licensed by the regulatory body.

He said when accosted, Tayo claimed that he was a Pharmacy Technician not subject to regulatory control by PCN.

“In his defence, the convict contended that he was a pharmacy technician graduate of Ogun State School of Health Technology, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State and member of the National Association of Pharmaceutical Technologists and Pharmacy Technicians of Nigeria (NAPTTON) and produced permit to that effect and certificate of membership of NAPTTON in support of his contention that he was not subject to the regulatory control by Pharmacy Council of Nigeria,” Ahmed said.

According to the PCN registrar, the trial court rejected his defence and held that the prosecution proved all the five counts of the charge against him and sentenced him accordingly.

He said Tayo filed an appeal in Ibadan and the Court of Appeal, in its judgement delivered on March 19, 2025, found no merit in the appeal and dismissed it.