NAFDAC Headquarters, Abuja
Many Baba Aisha herbal concoction sellers have stopped selling it on the streets of Abuja.
Local concoction ‘Baba Aisha Herbal Medicine’ retailers have either taken off the streets or discontinued the product’s sales, 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 circulating in Abuja and adjoining states.
In 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 minimize the usage of the substance,” she said.
What our survey shows
Following this announcement, we returned to the streets to see if the mop-up was taking effect.
In general, we found that the concoction is gradually leaving the shelves of retailers who have either stopped selling it or closed up entirely.
For instance, when we visited the Nyanya axis, where at least three stationary vehicles park daily to sell the concoction to the public, we found that only one was still open for sale.
The seller, who quickly gave a dismissal look when we asked to purchase Baba Aisha Herbal product, said he didn’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 nor 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.
According to NAFDAC’s Herbal Medicine and Related Products Advertisement Regulations gazetted in 2021, the advert should be approved by the agency before use.
NAFDAC has since clarified that it did not approve 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 advert, a few have switched to other ads, also advertising herbal products.
We could not ascertain if any of these adverts were approved by NAFDAC.
What’s next?
It’s been 19 days since the publication of the investigation and 15 days since the producer’s arrest; 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 to 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 was arrested and detained after visiting NAFDAC’s office.
NAFDAC is yet to give an update on the arrest. Part of the questions begging for answers is whether Baban Aisha has been granted bail and 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.
