Bioraj Pharmaceutical Ltd, one of the companies indicted in the BBC documentary on codeine production and distribution in Nigeria, has suspended its staff who appeared in the documentary.
The staff identified as Mr Hussan, aka Baba Ibeji works as a storekeeper with the company.
The BBC documentary pushed the federal government to ban importation and use of Codeine in the country.
Managing Director of the pharmacy Mr Jimoh Bioku, however , told journalists that the staff had no control on sales and distribution of any of its NAFDAC approved products.
“Even when he was here with us he was not allowed to handle cough syrup with codeine. Watching through the video clips, I saw in him a desperate marketer wanting to make big money from people he thought were big businessmen. Any representations made by the former sales rep and the store man shown in the video are not in line with the thinking, policy, ethical rules and regulations of Bioraj Pharmaceutical Limited,” he said.
BBC had in the documentary highlighted the dangers of using codeine and how it has destroyed the lives of young people in the northern part of the country.
Bioraj Pharmaceutical was identified as one of the major suppliers of codeine to the northern part of the country.
Mr. Hassan was filmed engaging in illegal cough syrup deals in the documentary .
The management of Bioraj pharmaceuticals however said the company only sells codeine cough syrup legitimately when confronted with details of illegal deals of Mr. Hassan.
The company said it will sack the storekeeper if he was found at the end of its own investigation.