Sellers of harmful concoction off the streets after NAFDAC’s crackdown

Retailers of local concoction, ‘Baba Aisha Herbal Medicine’ have either taken off the streets or discontinued the sales of the product, a recent survey by DUBAWA and PREMIUM TIMES shows.

This development follows efforts by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) since we published an investigation which exposed the harmful nature of the concoction.

In one of its several responses, NAFDAC said it had commenced a nationwide mop-up of the toxic concoction, mostly in circulation in Abuja and adjoining states.

Making the announcement at a press conference recently, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Mojisola Adeyeye, a professor of Pharmaceutics and Manufacturing, said the effort would extend to other fake and unregistered products in circulation.

She added that the exercise was to ensure the herbal product, whose registration number expired over three years ago, is off the market.

“We have commenced a nationwide mop-up of the Sacra Herbs in circulation. We have also intensified crackdown on all illegal manufacturers and distributors of herbal preparation and other unregistered preparations, to bringing perpetrators to book and minimise the usage of the substance,” she said.

What our survey shows

Following this announcement, we went back to the streets to see if the mop-up has had any effect.

This newspaper observed that the concoction is gradually leaving the shelves of retailers who have either stopped selling it or completely shut down their kiosks.

For instance, at the Nyanya axis where at least three stationary vehicles park daily to sell the concoction to the public, we found that only one of them still opens for sales.

The seller, who quickly gave a dismissal look when our reporter asked to purchase Baba Aisha Herbal product, said he doesn’t have any in stock.

At Mararaba, a densely-populated dwelling at the east of Abuja, sellers who, in the recent past, clustered to serve the teeming populace were nowhere to be found during several visits.

A trader on the Mararaba bridge said it’s been up to two weeks since she saw any of the retailers or their vehicles last.

Meanwhile, the stationary Honda car where the concoction is being sold in Kurudu is still there but it now wears a new look.

Before DUBAWA and PREMIUM TIMES’ publication, the car was branded to boldly reflect ‘Baban Aisha’ to attract customers.

However, on several visits throughout the week after NAFDAC’s announcement, we also found that the part of the car that bears the brand name has been repainted to fade out the name completely.

No more ‘don’t go to the hospital’

The most significant development in the ongoing efforts is the stoppage of the advert, which daily misinforms the public. In the 9-minute advert, the voice-over artist asks people not to visit or take their children to the hospital.

“Even if you have the intention to go to hospital, I Dr Salisu Sani say don’t go. Even if you go (they’ll) only say your children need drip or add them blood,” the producer, Baba Aisha said in the recorded ad.

The advert, according to NAFDAC’s Herbal Medicine and Related Products Advertisement Regulations gazetted in 2021, ought to be approved by the agency before use.

NAFDAC has since clarified that it did not grant approval for the use of the advert.

All sellers of herbal products in areas we visited have since stopped playing the hitherto popular advert.

While some have totally stopped playing any ad, a few have switched to other ads, also advertising herbal products.

We could not ascertain if any of these ads was approved by NAFDAC.

What next?

It’s been 19 days since the publication of the investigation and 15 days since the arrest of the producer, questions continue to be raised about the next steps.

For instance, the agency promised to conduct its investigation and make its findings public but is yet to revert on this promise.

Following the publication, NAFDAC raided the building where the concoction is being produced, confiscated several items and arrested two people.

The next day, the producer himself was arrested and detained after he visited NAFDAC’s office.

NAFDAC is yet to give an update on the arrest. Part of the questions begging for answers is if Baba Aisha has been granted bail and if he has been officially charged to court.

The latest attempt by DUBAWA and PREMIUM TIMES to get some answers from the agency has yielded no positive result.

The Director-General of the agency promised on Thursday that she would confirm the update on the arrest from the enforcement unit, pledging to revert with details. However, as of the time of filing this report no update has been provided.