The Court of Appeal in Lagos State on Thursday refused bail to two appellants, Adeyemo Abiodun and Ebele Eromosele, jailed for the sale of an adulterated teething mixture, My pikin.
Both accused, employed by the Barewa Pharmaceutical Company Limited, were convicted and sentenced to seven years imprisonment by Justice Okechukwu Okeke of a Federal High Court, on May 17.
They were prosecuted by the National Agency for Food Drugs Administration and Control.
Okeke had also ordered that the company be wound up and its assets forfeited to the Federal Government.
During delivery of the judgment by Okeke, the first appellant, Abiodun, had collapsed in the dock and was later diagnosed of hypertension.
After the incarceration of the appellants at the Ikoyi Prisons, Abiodun was again reported to have slumped in custody for the second time.
This led their counsel, Osaro Eghobamien (SAN), to file a bail application before the appellate court, pending the hearing of their substantive appeal, to allow the convicts access to proper medical care.
Counsel to the appellants and respondent, Jeff Kadiri, had both adopted their written submissions on July 11, while the court reserved ruling.
The lead judge of the appellate court, Justice Shagbaor Ikyegh, in a short ruling, refused the bail application of the appellants on the grounds that it would amount to determining the substantive appeal.
Ikyegh, therefore, struck out the bail application, but said that the matter would be accorded accelerated hearing.
He adjourned the case to September 23 for hearing of the substantive appeal.
My pikin mixture killed over 80 Nigerian children in 2008.
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