Menu Close

Consumer Safety: NAFDAC seizes truckloads of deadly alcoholic bitters, sex enhancers in Lagos, Zaria

Some of the Unhealthy Alcoholic Bitters, Sex Enhancers Seized by NAFDAC

*Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General, says NAFDAC arrests 3 suspected owners of production factories, reveals details of affected products

*Discloses the impounded unwholesome products were laced with psychoactive substances, including tobacco, marijuana and cannabis among others

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

As part of the health regulator’s consumer protection efforts, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has disclosed the agency impounded truckloads of unregistered and deadly products, including intoxicants, alcoholic bitters and sex-enhancers.

The regulatory agency noted the unwholesome products were laced with psychoactive substances, such as tobacco, marijuana and cannabis amonmg others.

ConsumerConnect reports Prof. Adeyeye, at a media briefing at the NAFDAC Headquarters, in Abuja, FCT, said that arrests of owners of the unhealthy products had been made, and their factories subsequently shut down in Lagos and Zaria respectively.

Seized products can destroy functioning of the brain, kidney, liver

In stressing the fact that the unwholesome products have the capacity to destroy the function of the brain, kidney and liver as well as cause death, the NAFDAC Director-General stated that three suspects, although later granted bail, were arrested in connection with the production and sales of the deadly drinks, with their factories shut down.

Adeyeye urged consumers of NAFDAC-regulated products to be watchful of drug, food and other regulated products they purchase, and should not hesitate to report any suspicious activities within their environment to the nearest office of the regulator.

She also said: “Recently the Agency has received a series of reports on the use of an herbal preparation popularly known as ‘Kurkura’ particularly in the South West and Northern axis of the country.

“The Agency swung into action and carried out intelligence and enforcement action. We have commenced a nationwide crackdown of all illegal manufacturers and distributors of these Herbal Preparations with a view to bringing perpetrators to book and minimise the usage of the substance.”

The Director-General further noted: “The ‘Kurkura’ herbal preparations discovered in circulation included: Five Minutes Power Herbs Medicine, Haonu Laha Herbal Mixture, Gamzaki Tradomedical Herbal Ventures, Barakallahu Multipurpose Herbal Mixture, Sabon Karfi Herbal Mixture.

Among the above, only Haonu Laha Herbal Mixture is registered, nonetheless laced with unapproved substances that are injurious to the body.

“In our recent operation, we impounded the following dangerous herbal aphrodisiac at some Islamic Herbal Medicines shops in Zaria, Kaduna State: Gagare Man Power, Minister For Man Power, Almenjou For Lazy Men in Bed, Nisan Zango Karfin Maza, Shagalin Ka Man Power, Dakan Jia Man Power enhancement, Wuff Male Sexual Performance, Afafata For Sexual Drive, etc.

She also stated: “Worthy of note is the discovery of the usage of Hyergra 200 (Sildenafil Citrate tablet), Amafranil tablets (Clomipramine tablet 25mg) and Cannon Extra (Paracetamol 500mg+Caffeine 30mg) in the production room.

“The owner admitted that he dissolves the Hyergra 200, Cannon Extra and the Amafranil in a drum and mixes the content with boiled Kanafari, Garlic, Dundu, Marke, Hankufa, Sweetner and Sodium Benzoate to make up the Man Power preparation. Yet the label on the preparation read 100 percent Herbal.

“The effect of such preparation on person with heart challenges can only be imagined. The makers of these products were arrested and later granted bail. Investigation is ongoing.”

Adeyeye said: “An alcoholic bitters product that is of grave concern is Japata alcoholic bitters which was duly registered by NAFDAC but laced with marijuana or cannabis compared to the registered product that had only ethanol. Through intelligence, NAFDAC was able to shut down the company.

“This product when tested in the laboratory, caused the death of the mice within five minutes. The alcoholic content was doubled compared with the registered product. The retained samples, kept at the point of registration, did not cause any injury to the animals.”

The NAFDAC Director-General added: “The product laced with cannabis was said to cause altered state of mind and psychological problems to the user. The owner of the company is on the run and the matter has been shared with NDLEA.”

Kindly Share This Story

 

Kindly share this story