A former Nigerian pharmaceuticals executive who was implicated in a BBC investigation into the illegal sale of addictive opioids has been arrested.
Chukwunonye Madubuike was detained west of Lagos, close to the border with Benin, police said.
He went on the run in May after he was filmed illegally selling codeine syrup to an undercover BBC reporter.
Police said he told them he thought he was selling to a genuine businessman and regretted not checking his ID.
The BBC documentary exposed the extent of addiction to the codeine-based cough mixture among Nigeria’s youth.
Codeine is a painkiller, which is highly addictive and if taken to excess can cause organ failure and trigger schizophrenia.
The Africa Eye film also exposed the black market practice of selling the medicine to people without a doctor’s prescription or a pharmaceutical licence. Read more
