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Protest in Kano Over Pfizer Drug Trial

Leadership
Salihu Othman Isah
29th Jan. 2008

Another round of peaceful protest was organised by parents of victims of the controversial drug trial allegedly undertaken by Pfizer in Kano in 1996. The demonstrators displayed placards outside the premises of Kano High Court, albeit in peaceful manner, calling on the Federal Government to ban Pfizer products in Nigeria until the company paid compensation and apologised to Nigerians for using innocent children as guinea pig.

The presiding judge at the civil case filed against the multinational pharmaceutical company by the Kano State government, Justice Sunusi Ciroma, listened to the arguments by the counsels of both parties, and adjourned the case to March 3, saying the court would deliberate on whether it has the jurisdiction to entertain the case or not on that date.

Counsel to the defendant, Nelson Nzeribe (SAN), had earlier filed a motion challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the case, arguing that the motion earlier filed stipulated that the court lacks jurisdiction to entertain first.

Justice Ciroma, while ruling on whether to start with entertaining the issue of court jurisdiction or amendment of a motion earlier filed by the plaintiff's counsel, Barrister Babatunde Erukeru (SAN), noted that since both parties had agreed on the issue pertaining to jurisdiction, the next sitting should deliberate on it.

Erukeru explained that the application for amendment of the motion he earlier presented was based on the fact that new facts had emerged on the "dirty deals" of the pharmaceutical company during the alleged drug trial.

It would be recalled that the Kano State government filed civil and criminal suits against Pfizer in May last year, claiming a $2.75 billion compensation and prosecution of nine Pfizer staff for allegedly testing a meningitis drug called Trovan on children in April 1996 during a triple epidemic of measles, cholera and meningitis in which over 12,000 people died in the state.

Meanwhile, the absence of Pfizer and its representative yesterday stalled proceedings in a criminal matter instituted by Nigerian against the company at the Federal High Court, Abuja. The company is being accused of administering an untested and unregistered drug on about 200 children in Kano State in 1996, leading to their death.

At yesterday's sitting, Mr. O. Akinosun represented the Federal Government but there was no counsel representing Pfizer. LEADERSHIP gathered that the company's counsel were in Kano to attend to another matter in a court there.

Copyright © 2008 Leadership

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May we be strengthened with the ability, willingness and capabilities to be good ambassadors of Nigeria contributing to its uplifting, rather than its detriment. - Cxsm

Editor · Site Admin Joined: 09 Mar 2008 Posts: 142

Pfizer Faces Criminal Charges in Nigeria

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-...e/2007/05/29/AR2007052902107.html

admin · Site Admin Joined: 25 May 2007 Posts: 5404

Pfizer and Kano State Resume Settlememt Talks Over Illegal Drugs Trial

29th April '08

US pharmaceuticals company Pfizer Inc. and the state of Kano resumed talks aimed at reaching an out-of-court settlement over an alleged illegal drugs trial, an official said Monday. The alleged illegal clinical trial was carried out in 1996 and left 11 children dead and some 180 others with a deformity or handicap.

Kano state justice commissioner Aliyu Umar said state government officials met Pfizer representatives last month in the federal capital Abuja, where the drug company made a financial offer which Kano rejected as inadequate. "Pfizer... made us a ridiculous offer which we rejected," Umar said. "We have made a counter offer and we are awaiting their response," he said, declining to give details of the offers.

A source close to the talks who asked not to be named told AFP that Pfizer offered to pay 10 million dollars (6.4 million euros) to the alleged victims of the drug test while Kano insisted on 1.75 billion dollars compensation. "Pfizer offered to give 10 million dollars to the families of the victims, upgrade the Infectious Diseases Hospital where the drug trial took place, build a paediatric ward in any one public hospital and resuscitate Kano's ailing drug manufacturing company," the source said.

"For its part, Kano is insisting on one billion dollars as compensation to the victims and another 750 million dollars in damages for itself," the source added. Kano had initially demanded 2.75 billion dollars compensation but had never disclosed how much of that sum it intended the families to receive and how much it would keep for itself.

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May we be strengthened with the ability, willingness and capabilities to be good ambassadors of Nigeria contributing to its uplifting, rather than its detriment. - Cxsm