The federal government is set to ban the sale of rohypnol, otherwise known clinically as Flunitrazepam, a sedative with hypnotic effect that was used to lull late Miss Cynthia Osokogu to complacency while she was gang raped and later killed.

About two months ago four accused persons, Okwumo Echezona Nwabufo (33), Ejike Ilechukwu Olisaeloka (23), Orji Osita (32) and Maduakor Chukwunonso (25) were paraded by the police in Lagos for the murder of Osokogu.

Later two of them, Nwabufor and Olisaeloka told the police about how they met, drugged and strangled the victim in order to steal her money.

Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu told State House correspondents Wednesday at the end of the weekly Federal Excutive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja that the decision was informed by the need to curb the disastrous use of the drug, which has also been banned in some countries where it was used for similar purposes.

Also described as a ‘date rape drug’, rohypnol is sold over the counter in many countries across the globe.

Act No. 43 of 1989 which established the National Drug Formulary and Essential Drugs List empowers it to prohibit importation into and manufacture in Nigeria of any drug not on the List.

Prof. Chukwu said his ministry has directed the National Drug Formulary and Essential Drug List Committee to look into the possibility of banning the drug or otherwise.

According to the minister: “I have directed the appropriate body which is the National Drug Formulary and Essential Drug List Committee, which is established by a separate law in this country to immediately look into whether we should ban the drug or not.”

He explained that this decision is informed by the fact that “in some countries, that drug has now been banned and it was also for similar reason (rape) that those countries decided to ban that particular drug.”

http://newsbytesnow.com/2012/10/24/flash-cynthia-osokogu-fg-to-ban-date-rape-drug/

ARE THERE NO OTHER DRUGS LIKE THAT IN THE MARKET TOO

Ok

this drug has been WIDELY know as date r a p e drug for WELL OVER A DECADE around the world.....its about time they ban it in Nigeria too!

okay.... Thank you

While the banning of the drug is a good development, as it shows that the executive isn't insulated from the happenings in the society and is working for the citizenry; I don't think the primary use of the drug is for the negative use it has been put to. Perhaps banning the over the counter sale of the drug should be a better approach, making it a drug to be gotten by prescription only. But then that is Nigeria....

Y dem go ban am?

Try tramol

This move by the FG is anything but proactive, the drug has been known as the "date despoil drug" for over a decade and it's even illegal in the US.

nawaooooh.

Na today? I trust NAFDAC na! Is it because of Cynthia's case they have to ban it? Are there no alternative drugs to it? Instead of banning it why not make it compulsory for patients to present doctor's prescription before they are given? This yeye FG sef.smh.

Hmmmmmmm

Stupidddd FG. Always taking the easy way out.

Instead of tackling issues, all they do is Ban Ban ban

If its not Okada,it is drugs.


Is the ban of this drug going to stop the next killer from killing the next Cynthia? I dont think so

Sky walker: Is the ban of this drug going to stop the next killer from killing the next Cynthia? I dont think so

So what do you recommend?

Funny Government. So Flunitrazepam was designed originally for rape abi? Ok. So what of other drugs in the same class like Bromazepam (Lexotan), Diazepam (Valium), Lorazepam (Ativan), Nitrazepam (Mogadon) e.t.c. What of people who use Chloroform to drug people before kidnapping them? What of local and general anaesthetics used in hospitals for surgeries (e.g Lignocaine, Ketamine, Halothane, ether, Nitrous oxide e.t.c). What i'm getting at is, banning this drug is mere sweeping the problem under the carpet as d criminals have other alternate drugs to use. The right thing to do is to strongly regulate these drugs as is done in U.S and U.K and other developed countries. Our drug distribution channel in Nigeria is so chaotic that one can easily lay his or her hands on these drugs, which should not be. Let the health minister work on reviewing the laws on drug use regulation by placing such drugs only in d custody of qualifed and registered pharmacies. That will make it easier to track incase it gets out. Don't ban drugs like that because some criminal used it because u may just be denying those patients who actually need it and for whom d drugs were designed for initially.

Confused Government

They are banning it because it has affected the rich

Τhis is τhe begining of their downfall.

Even if it's banned over the counter,it will still be gotten behind the counter,no be naija we dey? More so,is the drug not a presciption for a cure to some illnesses?

Silly people..next is that they start placing bans on anaesthetics.The actions of sedatives are well documented such that any literate with evil intentions can easily find a substitute drug.Besides the original use of the drug is for insomnia (inability to sleep) and not for date rape.
If you are as concerned as you claim, place a restriction on over-the-counter sale and not a ban.

Seun: So what do you recommend?

So if mr. A use paracetamol to kill mr. C, then because mr. C comes from a known or wealthy family τhe drug should be banned

Our problem in τhis country is always looking for τhe easy way out

Ŧħåϯ drugs has sve ♍☺re lives aŋԂ is still saving lives. Respect to τhe late Cynthia.

I think Ŧħåϯ ministry of health aŋԂ Nigeria Medical aŋԂ Pharmaceutical association should sit aŋԂ ask themselves Wђɑ̤̥̈̊† has gone wrong with our health system

lmao@Date Molestation Drug...
Seun,what's wrong with saying Date Ra..pe Drug?

u wanna kill a beast? U cut its throat, not its right hand coz it'll come back at u with its left hand. D ban of d drug is like cutting d right hand. There are other drugs -by the way, this beast has a billion hands. All d FG did was cut one. There re 999999 left.

@seun. I'll reserve my recommendation for when u vote me as president.
It s not my job to figure out a way to cut the beasts throat. Thats the job of your FG. Thats why you pay your tax to 'em.

The MODS are funny. Someone makes a valid contribution and her post is hidden. Do u guys have an ulterior motive?

jude33084: So if mr. A use paracetamol to kill mr. C, then because mr. C comes from a known or wealthy family τhe drug should be banned

What's your solution to the problem they are trying to solve?

Good step in the right direction. That drug and any similar drug should be banned immediately.

dandadee: Silly people..next is that they start placing bans on anaesthetics.The actions of sedatives are well documented such that any literate with evil intentions can easily find a substitute drug.Besides the original use of the drug is for insomnia (inability to sleep) and not for date rape.
If you are as concerned as you claim, place a restriction on over-the-counter sale and not a ban.

sometimes i wonder if our FG thinks out of their as.ses. The drug is already a POM. Why ban it? Will they ban Diazepam and all the other Benzodiazepines also?

Billyonaire: Good step in the right direction. That drug and any similar drug should be banned immediately.

no sir. They are doing the wrong thing with good intentions. What i'd suggest is that they make it very difficult to get ANY of those drugs without a valid doctor's prescription. This is because they also have their own medical benefits. What those did killers did was drug abuse. Do you know paracetamol can kill too?

brokoto: no sir. They are doing the wrong thing with good intentions. What i'd suggest is that they make it very difficult to get ANY of those drugs without a valid doctor's prescription. This is because they also have their own medical benefits. What those did killers did was drug abuse. Do you know paracetamol can kill too?

I wanna ask you a sincere question and I want you to give a true answer. Have you ever used the 'Date Molestation Drug' before, even for its intended usage ?'

Seun: So what do you recommend?

no more over counter sales except prescribed

Policewoman: Funny Government. So Flunitrazepam was designed originally for rape abi? Ok. So what of other drugs in the same class like Bromazepam (Lexotan), Diazepam (Valium), Lorazepam (Ativan), Nitrazepam (Mogadon) e.t.c. What of people who use Chloroform to drug people before kidnapping them? What of local and general anaesthetics used in hospitals for surgeries (e.g Lignocaine, Ketamine, Halothane, ether, Nitrous oxide e.t.c). What i'm getting at is, banning this drug is mere sweeping the problem under the carpet as d criminals have other alternate drugs to use. The right thing to do is to strongly regulate these drugs as is done in U.S and U.K and other developed countries. Our drug distribution channel in Nigeria is so chaotic that one can easily lay his or her hands on these drugs, which should not be. Let the health minister work on reviewing the laws on drug use regulation by placing such drugs only in d custody of qualifed and registered pharmacies. That will make it easier to track incase it gets out. Don't ban drugs like that because some criminal used it because u may just be denying those patients who actually need it and for whom d drugs were designed for initially.

. . . Na wao! How u come take all dis names na? Shey u dey use am ni? But on a serious note i think they FG should just leave the ban thing out of it. Rite now i have a pack of 1mg i bought for 1,800 and i use it on myself as an intoxicant. But i can always switch to the ones my quoted friend mentioned if it is finally banned.

Sky walker: Stupidddd FG. Always taking the easy way out.

Instead of tackling issues, all they do is Ban Ban ban

If its not Okada,it is drugs.


Is the ban of this drug going to stop the next killer from killing the next Cynthia? I dont think so

Dont think that sm of u think b4 you comment. To comment no bi must....smh

[size=18pt]Many dumb Nigerian girls in relationship today were laid by their boyfriends who spiked their drinks with Flunitrazepam and other hard drugs in circulation sold at the nearest chemist shops on every street.

A particular girl could not do anything but weep after she found out what the guy she visited had done to her. And simply gave in since the apple had already been eaten by the desperate evil guy.

Majority of Nigerian guys are the most desperate I have ever seen, because of their predatory lust to have sex with any female creature and that is why cases of rape are rampant in Nigerian campuses and neigbourhoods.
One former UNILAG student even boasted to Linda Ikeji that he enjoyed raping a 17 year old girl and that was when Linda Ikeji was 17 and she was lucky to have escaped from been drugged and ra-ped by this mathematics graduate of UNILAG.
Another popular UNILAG student "Oshe" was caught raping a 16 year old year one student on campus in the early 2001. And guess what? He was bragging about it to his buddies later and today he does not even regret it while his innocent victim has been scarred for life and she still lives with the stigma and nightmares of the trauma. This would certainly affect her love life and marriage.

There are many other cases.
In fact, 7 in 10 relationships among Nigerian youths were contrived by ra-pi-ng their girlfriends.
Nigerian guys have parties and carnivals for the singular purpose to sexually harass girls and women by playing seductive psychedelic hip hop songs and pornographic music videos, spiking their drinks, getting them drunk or drugged in order to have forced-s-e-x with them.

ONCE YOU FORCE A GIRL OR WOMAN TO HAVE S- - E- - X WITH YOU, IT IS RA- PE!
And majority of Nigerian guys have forced their so called "girlfriends" to have sex with them.
Imagine the outrage of Nigerian guys trespassing the unfortunate flood victims camps and ra-ping the helpless homeless girls in agony.

I lost my respect for Nigerian men when I saw mad women on the street getting pregnant!
The same Nigerian men who impregnated these mentally re-tar-ded girls and totally insane women on the street will later return to their girlfriends, mistresses and wives and sleep with them with the same manhood they used in sleeping with these sick girls and women on the street. Then these ignorant girls will be infected with all sorts of infections and afflictions contracted from the beasts posing and posturing as their boyfriends, sugar daddies and husbands.
Most students who are cult members have done rituals including sleeping with mad women.
So, don't be shocked to see the bizarre atrocities perpetrated by Nigerian youths in Aluu mob killings, Mubi massacre, murders by cult members, girls going nude on webcam and sharing their nude pictures on phones and internet; girls stealing Blackberry and other smart phones and caught committing other rebellious and uncivilized acts.
They have been cursed and damned by their abominable and forbidden acts on and off campus and later activities.[/size]

Billyonaire: I wanna ask you a sincere question and I want you to give a true answer. Have you ever used the 'Date Molestation Drug' before, even for its intended usage ?'

What kind of question is that Mr man? How does that concern what he said? Use it for what if i may ask? Unless of course he is a Doctor, in which case ur question should be, have u presribed the drug before?