{"id":15005,"date":"2023-06-10T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-10T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/?p=15005"},"modified":"2023-06-25T15:41:33","modified_gmt":"2023-06-25T14:41:33","slug":"investigation-baba-aisha-nigerias-fake-doctor-cashing-out-on-deadly-concoction-that-cures-nothing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/investigation-baba-aisha-nigerias-fake-doctor-cashing-out-on-deadly-concoction-that-cures-nothing\/","title":{"rendered":"INVESTIGATION: Baba Aisha, Nigeria\u2019s fake \u2018doctor\u2019 cashing out on deadly concoction that cures nothing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In Abuja, Nigeria\u2019s Federal Capital Territory, many residents consume \u2018Baba Aisha Herbal Medicine,\u2019 a low-end<\/em> <\/em>herbal product that sells for just N100 and<\/em> <\/em>is touted to cure common diseases. In this five-month-long investigation, <\/em>Kemi Busari<\/strong> scientifically probes the content of the concoction while questioning regulatory frameworks that allow its supply to thrive.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the sun sets on the bustling streets of Abuja<\/a>, a symphony of voices echoes through the residential communities; the voice of hope and healing emanating from horn speakers perched atop vehicles as herbal medicine vendors sing their healing song to all who will listen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amongst the various elixirs and tonics on offer, one potion reigns supreme: Sacra Herbs, known popularly as Baba Aisha herbal medicine. From thronging markets to busy intersections in Kubwa, Lugbe, Nyanya, Jabi, Kuje, and Kurudu \u2013 in fact, every residential community in the federal capital territory \u2013 vendors of this medicine hawk their wares, promising to cure a litany of ailments for a mere N100.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, Baba Aisha, the sturdy figure behind the Sacra Herbs empire, takes centre stage in a spellbinding nine-minute advertisement blaring from the horn speaker balanced on a rickety Honda Accord car, permanently parked at Kurudu junction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ad opens with a devout prayer as the producer, who doubles as the voice-over artist, introduces himself as Dr Salisu Sani Na Wagini (Baba Aisha) and implores the heavens to guard his listeners against the twin curses of poverty and business loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a flourish, shielding his apparent lack of fluency in the English language, Baba Aisha goes on to vaunt the many testimonies from satisfied customers while confidently listing the various maladies Sacra Herbs can cure: typhoid fever, malaria, stomach ulcers, rheumatism, waist pain, piles, and more. He urges his audience to take each of the the120ml bottles twice daily and to eat before consumption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The advert then shifts to a litany of common symptoms, accompanied by boasts of the thorough research and expert craftsmanship that go into each bottle of Sacra Herbs. Then, he switches to a passionate appeal for people to turn away from the false promises of hospitals and modern medicine and instead trust in the power of Baba Aisha’s brew, especially for children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A branded sales car in Kurudu.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven if you have the intention to go to hospital, I Dr Salisu Sani say don\u2019t go. Even if you go (they\u2019ll) only say your children need drip or add them blood,\u201d he said in the recorded ad. \u201cNot everybody is capable to buy blood\u2026but when you come here with small money, you can take our herbal medicine, and you\u2019ll not get any sickness in your body anymore,\u201d he added, leaving the audience with a sense of hope and conviction that his concoction is the answer to all their ailments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lurked behind these promises is an unsealed bottle of Sacra Herbs tainted with question marks. Questions about its origin; questions about its content, ingredients and mixing formula; questions about prescription and qualification of the producer; and, more importantly, questions about the regulatory framework upon which the product thrives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To residents of Abuja and adjoining states, where the herbal product is prominent, Sacra Herbs are a cheap and effective option whenever they are down with ailments. Still, months of rigorous investigation, which includes extensive laboratory testing of the product, put this in serious doubt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The unregistered <\/strong>medicine<\/s><\/strong> concoction<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What Baba Aisha referred to as medicine in the advertisement is a liquid mixture sold in a 120ml unsealed bottle. Each bottle contains a yellowish, minty liquid with a powdery residue. Our investigation reveals that the colour and amount of residue in each bottle are determined by retailers who add a black powdery substance after taking stocks of the pure yellow liquid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bottle also contains information on ingredients, a list of potential ailments cured, dosage, storage information, registration number, company details, telephone numbers and a picture of the producer. In the 14 locations visited across Abuja, the presentation and details on the items are the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A bottle of Sacra Herbs.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

One quick giveaway on each bottle is that the product carries not one but two NAFDAC registration numbers. The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control<\/a> (NAFDAC) regulates and controls the manufacture, importation, exportation, advertisement, distribution, sale and use of food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, chemicals and packaged water in Nigeria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NAFDAC\u2019s Food, Drugs and Related Products Act states that no herbal medicinal product should be manufactured, exported, advertised, sold or distributed in Nigeria unless registered. But here is Sacra Herbs with two registration numbers \u2013 A7-2551L and A7-2590L- tagged \u2018NAFDAC REG NO\u2019 on each bottle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We checked the NAFDAC open portal to confirm whether both registration numbers are genuine; they were tagged as \u2018fake\u2019 on the agency\u2019s search portal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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NAFDAC Headquarters, Abuja.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With some scepticism, we pressed further and then came across some reports that could confirm this revelation. In September 2017, NAFDAC impounded<\/a> some Sacra Herbs products after the agency\u2019s several efforts failed to get the producer to complete their registration and give full details of the products. Has Baba Aisha completed his registration since then? We wrote to NAFDAC to confirm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In response, the agency said the herb was submitted for registration in January 2018. The request was granted after \u201call the necessary procedures for registration were duly followed by the company and proper documentation provided.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NAFDAC noted that it received a registration renewal request in August 2020. Still, it refused to grant, as the application and vetting of the company\u2019s facility for Good Manufacturing Practice<\/a> (GMP) turned out \u2018unsatisfactory.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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‘Baba Aisha is our saviour’, says Abdullahi.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If regulations are followed, the concoction should already be off the market since the expiry of its registration, but it remained a \u2018saviour\u2019 for residents seeking cheap medication. Some of the users of the concoction described the stationary vehicles, which are mostly sold in residential communities, as their \u2018hospital\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few other users who cared to probe its authenticity said they were satisfied that it is registered with NAFDAC, probably ignoring or unaware of the fact that the concoction carries two registration numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a written response, NAFDAC confirmed A7-2590L to be the correct registration number issued in 2018. The agency said the registration is yet to be renewed since its expiry in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNAFDAC does not assign two registration numbers to one product,\u201d the agency notes while disowning A7-2551L.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A pack of Sacra Herbs.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

More regulatory infractions; NAFDAC complicit<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We spoke to over 20 of the medicine users, and most of them gave positive reviews. They will continue using the \u2018medicine\u2019 the regulatory agency has approved so far. However, NAFDAC may have breached this trust, our investigation shows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s start with a probe of the 2018 registration. According to NAFDAC\u2019s guidelines for renewal of herbal medicines and dietary supplements, applicants seeking to register their products must fulfil some paperwork conditions; evidence of business incorporation by the Corporate Affairs Commission<\/a> (CAC), evidence of registration of brand name with Trademark Registry<\/a> of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, a comprehensive certificate of analysis by a quality control laboratory, among others. Our investigation shows that Sacra Multi-links barely fulfilled these criteria but was granted registration by NAFDAC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Multiple searches on the CAC search portal for Sacra Multi-Links Limited returned a \u2018search not found\u2019 feedback, indicating that the company is not registered. After the open search, we contracted a lawyer to do due diligence on the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe company is not registered with CAC,\u201d the lawyer, Olalekan Idowu, said after a thorough check. \u201cUnder the law, you can\u2019t even use your name for a business unless registered,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The law being referred to here is the Company and Allied Matters Act<\/a> (CAMA), which in section 863, declares that “a person or association of persons shall not carry on business in Nigeria as a company, limited liability partnership, limited partnership or under a business name without being registered under this Act.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rafiu Isa sells Sacra Herbs in Lugbe Abuja.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We determined if the company fulfilled the trademark criteria as required by law. In response to our inquiry, Nigeria’s Trademark Registry<\/a> noted the company filed for registration on 23rd November 2016, but it failed to complete the process, even six years later. The registry noted that Sacra Multi-Links Limited \u2018has not acquired the registration status.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two lawyers who commented on the development said the company has at least two more stages \u2013 publishing the trademark in the trademark journal and issuing the certificate \u2013 to complete the registration. Both stages, they said, take a maximum of eight months to complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Don\u2019t go to hospital\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In Nigeria, herbal medicine vendors are a dime a dozen, easily overlooked and forgotten. Perhaps the concoction wouldn\u2019t have attracted this reporter\u2019s attention but for the never-in-doubt advertisement that clearly set out to misinform the public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the nine-minute advertisement embedded below, Baba Aisha passionately urged the public not to visit or take their children to the hospital; he claimed hospitals only administer blood or drips for ailments; he gave prescriptions without prior academic or professional expertise and then claimed cure for several diseases \u2013 diseases with different origins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Audio:<\/strong> Baba Aisha’s advert<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To an average literate person, the advert comes as some kind of comedy, given the tone and the voice-over artist\u2019s apparent struggle with the English language, but it is what several of his customers needed to hear to shun hospitals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alice John, 50, complained of pains in her eyes and other body parts in early 2022. Her first stop was a community clinic. Her medical records show she was diagnosed with glaucoma, corneal ulcer, and hypertension. She was placed on treatment, but the ailments persisted, prompting an alternative. The alternative came in the persuasive words of Baba Aisha blaring from the stationary vehicle at the junction leading to Ms John\u2019s house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey (neighbours) said the medicine they are shouting (advertising) is working… It\u2019s God (who heals), but I trust this medicine,\u201d she said, adding that she hasn\u2019t visited the hospital since she started taking the concoction in June 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Alice John abandoned hospitals after being introduced to Sacra Herbs.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The advert, according to NAFDAC\u2019s Herbal Medicine and Related Products Advertisement Regulations<\/a> gazetted in 2021, ought to be approved by the agency before use. The regulation states that such ads shall not state or imply that any herbal medicine is \u2018safe\u2019 or has \u2018guaranteed efficacy or special status\u2019. It noted further that such ads should not contain false or misleading information, vague, unsubstantiated statements, suggestions of superiority over other products, or any claim of a universal cure. Baba Aisha\u2019s ad failed in all of this and more!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With 63 per cent of the 200 million estimated population being multi-dimensionally poor<\/a> and the National Health Insurance Scheme covering only three per cent<\/a>, herbal medicines easily become an option for many.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is difficult to put a figure to the circulation and consumption of Sacra Herbs but a series of interviews with retailers and users suggest hundreds of thousands of the bottles are sold monthly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Labelled products sent to the laboratory for test.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We wrote NAFDAC to ask if it approved the advert, but the commission failed to respond to our inquiry. Meanwhile, the regulation empowers the NAFDAC to initiate legal proceedings and enforce payment of fines or imprisonment upon conviction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We could not ascertain if Baba Aisha submitted fake documents or if officials of NAFDAC colluded to issue him registration without fulfilling the minimum criteria. Whatever the case, health experts say the agency has failed Nigerians in its role of keeping the public safe by not conducting proper due diligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople are not going to double-check a product that has a NAFDAC seal on them,\u201d says Lawal Bakare, a dentist and public health specialist. \u201cBecause Nigerians trust NAFDAC, the commission needs to know that it puts a lot of responsibility on them.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We wrote NAFDAC to provide copies of the documents submitted for registration but got no response. We presented this evidence to the commission and asked questions about the registration process but, again, got no response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baba Aisha declined our request to have an interview with him, despite answering repeated calls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As revealed, NAFDAC\u2019s connivance or lack of due diligence has for years put the lives of millions of users of Sacra Herbs, arguably the most popular concoction in Abuja, at risk, but how significant are these risks?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s in Baba Aisha\u2019s bottle?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Odigie Okai was experiencing relapsing malaria sometime in 2018, forcing him to visit the hospital or spend on buying medicines every two months. \u201cIt got to a point some neighbours asked why I was always going to the hospital; that I was wasting money; that have I not heard of Baba Aisha?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heeding the advice, a desperate Mr Okai bought three bottles of the \u2018medicine\u2019 on a prescription of one bottle daily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mr Okai.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI took the first one the first day; towards the evening, I started feeling pains in my stomach. The next day, I took the second bottle, and it took a turn for the worse to the point I collapsed,\u201d Mr Okai recounted the terrible experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Waking up in the hospital, Mr Okai was informed he had malaria and typhoid and that the concoction aggravated his situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His condition is similar to that of Isa Ismaila, a tricycle rider who was prescribed a daily dosage of three bottles of Sacra Herbs mixed with salt to cure typhoid sometime in 2022. After taking the first bottle, Mr Ismaila soon becomes sweaty, drowsy and extremely uncomfortable. He had to resort to over-the-counter medicine for his condition to normalise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThroughout the night, I could not sleep. I will never take the medicine again,\u201d he said of his experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mr Ismaila.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How did a medicine taken to ameliorate a condition end up worsening the ailment? We sought answers in Mols & Sims, an independent biological and chemical laboratory at the Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upon contacting him, Olaposi Omotuyi, a professor of pharmacology and therapeutics, and his team agreed to investigate the potency of the medicine in curing the diseases claimed, starting with malaria. The team also sought to establish if Sacra Herbs are safe for human consumption. Twenty bottles of Sacra Herbs, purchased in four different locations in Abuja \u2013 five each \u2013 were dispatched to the laboratory for investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo do this (investigate anti-malaria actions of the medicine), what we would do is an in-vivo experiment in which animal models of malaria would be established, and the drugs will be used as an intervention versus a control, like chloroquine in this case, to check out the anti-malaria activity,\u201d Prof Omotuyi, who recently led a team of scientists to discover Virucidine Liquid<\/a>, an approved cure for COVID-19, said at the beginning of the test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parameters adopted by the scientists include the increase in temperature, loss of weight, loss of appetite, death associated with the malaria parasite and an investigation of vital organs of the animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A set of mice being prepared for the experiment.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The scientist divided the animals into five groups of eight mice each to include: a basal group not ingested or infected with anything; a group infected with malaria parasite without treatment; a group infected with a malaria parasite and administered chloroquine treatment; a group infected with a malaria parasite and administered low dosage of Sacra Herbs (30mg per kg); a group infected with a malaria parasite and administered high dosage of Sacra Herbs (100mg per kg).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The five groups.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Summarily, after an experiment which took up to a month under set international standards, the team of scientists made the following key findings:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf       Animals in the two groups administered low and high dosages of Sacra Herbs did not show any positive response to the medicine as a cure. Neither of the doses (100mg per kg nor 30mg per kg) has a curative effect on malaria infection. Therefore, the herbal medicine cannot cure malaria as claimed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf       Animals in the group administered chloroquine at 5mg per kg did not show adverse behavioural changes and were cured of the infection. Therefore, chloroquine is potent in the treatment of malaria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf       The plasmodium infection-associated loss of Packed Cell Volume (PCV) was not reversed under both doses of Sacra Herbs tested. That is when the blood levels of the animals began to go down as a result of the actions of the malaria parasite, the herbal medicine did not reverse the trend as expected of a cure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf       Animals administered Sacra Herbs at 100mg per kg suffered severe kidney and liver damage. Even those in the group infected with malaria and not administered a cure had better liver and kidney function. \u201cThis is a pointer to the possible damaging components present in the herbal mixture,\u201d the laboratory report says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf       Animals in the 100mg per kg suffered low glutathione levels, weakening their immune system and making them susceptible to lung infections. Continuous intake for humans could lead to Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), scientists say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf       All animals in the two groups administered Sacra herbs died within three to six days, meaning the treatment was unsuccessful. This also affirms that the medicine is a high safety risk to users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Histological representation of kidney of mice in different treatment groups.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cIt makes the kidney and liver function almost impossible. That means that anyone who takes this (Baba Aisha herbal medicine) is at a high risk of acute kidney injury, if not chronic,\u201d Prof Omotuyi said while analysing the result. \u201cWhen it becomes chronic, one has to be thinking of a kidney transplant, and that does not come cheap, that is, if you ever find a donor at all; ditto liver, ditto lungs. These are layman\u2019s way of saying it is unsafe to take this medicine as it is presently constituted.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although not outrightly established, users of Sacra Herbs such as Mr Okai and Mr Ismaila might have suffered from a breakdown of their vital organs, medical experts who analysed the situation say. Sometimes, this may lead to a total collapse of the kidney or liver, or even death, they add.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are seeing patients coming down with kidney failure, liver failure,\u201d says Usman Bashir, a lecturer at the Department of Community Medicine, Bayero University, and a consultant at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital. \u201cOur regulatory agencies need to really stand up, put control measures and even ban some of these herbal drugs because they are increasing our burden of disease, they are increasing the number of patients coming to hospitals and most of the time when they come, it is a little too late.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the World Health Organisation\u2019s<\/a> (WHO) reports cited by many peer-reviewed journals, liver and lung diseases rank among the most-deadly ailments in Nigeria. This study<\/a> and several others established that ingesting harmful herbs and roots accounts for a high percentage of hospital admissions resulting from kidney and liver diseases in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be specific on the figures, the Nigeria Association of Nephrology said<\/a> that about 20 million, accounting for 10 per cent of the population, live with kidney diseases. More disturbing, experts recently estimated<\/a> that 45,000 Nigerians die from kidney diseases yearly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Blurred images of the kidney of the mouse administered Sacra Herbs (right) turned dark a few days after, while that of the mouse not given any treatment (left) remained normal.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The reality is as grim for liver diseases. A February 2023 report by the WHO<\/a> showed that more than 20 million Nigerians live with Hepatitis B, C, or both, yet more than 80 per cent of people with the disease do not know their status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of these deaths are caused by cheap medicines, such as Sacra Herbs, taken to cure ailments. But there are more safety hazards lurked in a Baba Aisha bottle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Users at risk of cancer<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Neither Zaradeen, the retailer of Sacra Herbs in Jabi; Isa, the retailer in Lugbe; Yusuf, the retailer in Nyanya, nor Ahmed, the seller in Kurudu, and other vendors could explain the yellowish nature of the concoction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, preliminary laboratory findings indicate that the toxicological burden of the concoction is in part associated with the dye included, which was confirmed to be tartrazine yellow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAccording to the literature, tartrazine yellow dye is highly toxic to humans even at dosages considered safe,\u201d the report notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tartarzine is a colouring agent added to food and medicines to enhance their visual appeal. Several studies<\/a> have shown that tartrazine\u2019s metabolic conversion into aromatic amine (sulfanilic acid) could result in various disorders, including anaemia, pathological lesions in the brain, liver, kidney and spleen, besides allergic reactions, tumours and cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn analysis of Sacra Herbs, we accurately determined that one litre of every Sacra Herb has about 5,000 milligrams of tartrazine yellow, and in every 250ml bottle (approximately two bottles), it will come down to about 1,250 milligrams and when calculated, everyone that has taken the herbs has taken about three times the recommended dose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt means everyone taking these herbs is exposing their body to harmful substances of tartrazine yellow, which might be responsible for all the organ destruction found in the animals used,\u201d Prof Omotuyi said, calling for an outright ban on the sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that only 7.5 milligrams per kilogram is recommended daily for human consumption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Histological representation of liver of mice in different treatment groups.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The scientists did not continue to check whether Sacra Herbs work for other ailments, as claimed by Baba Aisha, because ingesting animals with the concoction creates an ethical issue since it is confirmed unsafe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dying and smiling <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For Saleh Ahmed, a commercial tricycle rider; Mohammed Sani, a commercial motorcyclist; Alice John, a banana seller; and over 20 other users of Sacra Herbs interviewed for this report, the herbal medicine remains a trusted substitute for modern treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI prefer Baba Aisha (to visiting hospitals),\u201d says Mr Ahmed, who boasts of never taking any other medicine for more than two years now. \u201cI will advise someone to take the concoction even if there is enough money to see a doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On surface analysis, the positive feedback from users directly negates laboratory findings, but experts say this could even be more dangerous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAn average man is about 70kg. Most time, when you have an animal used (for lab tests), and the animal dies within four days, it can (take) up to a year or two or longer time before they see any kind of damage (in humans),\u201d says Dr Oritoke Okeowo, a pharmacologist at ABUAD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other medical experts who analysed the situation gave the same feedback \u2013 the users may be dying in instalments, unknowingly. They added that although the mixture might contain some potent ingredients, which explains why users get temporary relief, it is largely mixed haphazardly and constitute a health risk to users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Retailers add black powder to every bottle of Sacra Herbs.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dr Okeowo fears if members of the public continue to consume Sacra Herbs and other harmful herbal products, there might be an \u2018increase in kidney and liver diseases and consequently, people\u2019s inability to have transplants, which is currently estimated at N15 to N25 million<\/a> for kidney and between N5 and N15 million<\/a> for the liver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we got the initial results from the laboratory, we again visited Ms John to relay the key findings to her and inform her of the dangers of the continuous use of Sacra Herbs. She told us she was still on the three bottles daily dosage anytime she could afford it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ms John, upon receiving details of the laboratory test, decided to run a kidney and liver test but later opted out for fear of the unknown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGod has already washed it away. Any affliction the devil wants to put in my body with that medicine, God will take it away for me,\u201d she said, strongly dismissing her initial resolve to run a test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back in the laboratory, Dr Okeowo is worried Baba Aisha\u2019s high-dosage prescription harms users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve given the mice 100ml per kilogram body weight, which means that for every 1kg, we are to give 100 ml. If you multiply it, a human is about 70kg; that\u2019s so much,\u201d she said. \u201cEven if something works, the number of times you have to take it might make you not follow up the dosage, and you might not get the complete effect that you should get.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baba Aisha, in his advert, prescribed half a bottle of the herbal concoction for children irrespective of age or body mass. Dr Okeowo warned against such dosage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter the situation, I would say no child should be given this because they have smaller body weight,\u201d she said. \u201cIf an adult is taking it and they are not yet collapsing, definitely it will be a lot worse for children.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where does \u2018Baba Aisha herbal medicine\u2019 come from?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In October 2021, popular Twitter user Kelvin Odanz<\/a> (@MrOdanz), in a banter-like manner, asked his over 100 thousand followers who the \u2018most popular herbal medicine doctor in Nigeria\u2019 was. He said it is Baba Aisha for him, while more than a quarter of his respondents said the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the comment section, they bantered on how Baba Aisha could already be brewing something for COVID-19, how his grammar-blundered advert lights up their evening journey from work and the experiences of people around them taking it. A few were curious about why herbal products are everywhere, but no one knew the origin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An address on the bottle of the concoction gave us a lead in our bid to unravel the location of Sacra Multi-links Limited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before embarking on the journey to Tafa, a town along the Kaduna-Abuja expressway, where the \u2018medicine\u2019 is being produced, we contacted Mallam Hamza, who introduced himself as Baba Aisha\u2019s brother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After several calls, he agreed to meet this reporter for possible business collaboration and other discussions on the concoction. Mr Hamza indeed showed up, but he insisted he would not take this reporter to the location where Sacra Herbs is being produced. Several calls and pleas to Baba Aisha himself would not make either of them bulge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their insistence is easily understood. Rather than an elaborate setting that guarantees standards and safety, the herbal concoction is produced in a residential building, which this reporter would soon find after locating the premises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Baba Aisha produces Sacra Herbs in this residential building.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A herbal products hawker in Tafa, who doesn\u2019t want to be mentioned to avoid being tracked, said there is no elaborate demarcation of the residence for production. The hawker added that the medicine is usually produced in bulk based on a request by retailers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although we could not precisely ascertain as we weren\u2019t granted entry, the building\u2019s outlook fall far short of indications by NAFDAC\u2019s GMP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Herbal products are expected to be produced under certain standards prescribed by NAFDAC\u2019s Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). The GMP has many guidelines, from staff specialisation, premises marking, sanitation, storage, and equipment maintenance to water supply systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baba Aisha would not comment on our findings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What about regulation?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Herbal medicine practice in Nigeria is mostly unregulated and often requires no registration or scrutiny. For several years, individuals who parade themselves as \u2018doctors\u2019 have ripped off the public with misleading advertisements without consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At different times, the authorities have tried to regulate the sector, but the proceeds of these attempts have not yet materialised. One of such latest moves is that by Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe, who believes all herbal medicine practitioners should have a minimum qualification which should not exclude their ability to read and write.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, the president assented to the lawmaker\u2019s bill to establish the Federal College of Complementary and Alternative Medicine and now awaits implementation by the Ministry of Health. Two years earlier, the federal government appro<\/a>ved the Bill to establish the Council for Traditional, Alternative and Complementary Medicine Practice in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe college bill aims to improve the training of middle-level manpower for the practice of alternative and complementary medicine hence ensuring access to quality alternative medicines to Nigerians,\u201d Mr Oloriegbe says \u201cThe council bill, if passed, will ensure effective regulation of the practice of traditional and alternative medicine, eliminating quacks and ensuring the safety of the people accessing care,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Table showing offences committed by Baba Aisha.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This objective would remain far-fetched without a common front by the herbal medicine practitioners. One association, the National Association of Nigerian Traditional Medicine Practitioners (NANTMP), is looking to formalise the workings of herbal medicine practitioners in Nigeria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe association is making an effort to curb the bad actors,\u201d says Shaba Maikudi, the president of the association. \u201cThere is a committee in charge of this. They are in place to flush (out) and checkmate the bad eggs in the practice of traditional medicine because we are trying to meet up the WHO standard and without flushing quacks, we cannot be able to achieve this aim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor herbal hawkers, we want to know the content of the herbs you are selling out to the public. We will now bring them in to educate them on how it can be safe for consumption. We also want to know if the herbs are not contaminated. We also want to make sure these people are registered so that we can know their area of specialisation,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Maikudi confirmed that Baba Aisha is a member of the association, adding that a list of registered products will be made available on the internet before the end of 2023. He hinted that the association, in conjunction with the Nigerian Natural Medicine Development Agency and the Ministry of Health, would soon start to test herbal products from a recently built laboratory sited in Lagos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What next?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We sent copies of the laboratory report to NAFDAC, the Ministry of Health, the Consumer Protection Agency, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and a few civil society actors to inspire enforcement action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As prescribed by NAFDAC\u2019s regulations and other statutory laws, Baba Aisha and other vendors of harmful herbal products are liable to different punishments upon conviction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NAFDAC failed to respond to our enquiry on what actions it would take and other questions regarding our findings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, back to the laboratory, Prof Omotuyi believes Baba Aisha\u2019s idea can still be polished and properly implemented to guarantee safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am not so sure what has been put together to produce Sacra Herbs, but the producer should also come open; let us know what components are there,\u201d says Prof Omotuyi. \u201cHe must work with scientists to help him establish safety first.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Baba Aisha has other ideas. He is confident of curing anyone of any race with his \u2018medicine\u2019 so far, emphasising, \u201cIf at all you\u2019re human being, you\u2019re not a spirit, you\u2019ll call us and tell us \u2018this your medicine is working\u2019.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watch the documentary video here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In Abuja, Nigeria\u2019s Federal Capital Territory, many residents consume \u2018Baba Aisha Herbal Medicine,\u2019 a low-end herbal product that sells for just N100 and is touted to cure common diseases. In this five-month-long investigation, Kemi Busari scientifically probes the content of the concoction while questioning regulatory frameworks that allow its supply to thrive. As the sun sets on the bustling streets of Abuja, a symphony of voices echoes through the residential communities; the voice of hope and healing emanating from horn speakers perched atop vehicles as herbal medicine vendors sing their healing song to all who will listen. Amongst the various elixirs and tonics on offer, one potion reigns supreme: Sacra Herbs, known popularly as Baba Aisha herbal medicine. From thronging markets to busy intersections in Kubwa, Lugbe, Nyanya, Jabi, Kuje, and Kurudu \u2013 in fact, every residential community in the federal capital territory \u2013 vendors of this medicine hawk their wares, promising to cure a litany of ailments for a mere N100. Today, Baba Aisha, the sturdy figure behind the Sacra Herbs empire, takes centre stage in a spellbinding nine-minute advertisement blaring from the horn speaker balanced on a rickety Honda Accord car, permanently parked at Kurudu junction. The ad opens with a devout prayer as the producer, who doubles as the voice-over artist, introduces himself as Dr Salisu Sani Na Wagini (Baba Aisha) and implores the heavens to guard his listeners against the twin curses of poverty and business loss. With a flourish, shielding his apparent lack of fluency in the English language, Baba Aisha goes on to vaunt the many testimonies from satisfied customers while confidently listing the various maladies Sacra Herbs can cure: typhoid fever, malaria, stomach ulcers, rheumatism, waist pain, piles, and more. He urges his audience to take each of the the120ml bottles twice daily and to eat before consumption. The advert then shifts to a litany of common symptoms, accompanied by boasts of the thorough research and expert craftsmanship that go into each bottle of Sacra Herbs. Then, he switches to a passionate appeal for people to turn away from the false promises of hospitals and modern medicine and instead trust in the power of Baba Aisha’s brew, especially for children. \u201cEven if you have the intention to go to hospital, I Dr Salisu Sani say don\u2019t go. Even if you go (they\u2019ll) only say your children need drip or add them blood,\u201d he said in the recorded ad. \u201cNot everybody is capable to buy blood\u2026but when you come here with small money, you can take our herbal medicine, and you\u2019ll not get any sickness in your body anymore,\u201d he added, leaving the audience with a sense of hope and conviction that his concoction is the answer to all their ailments. Lurked behind these promises is an unsealed bottle of Sacra Herbs tainted with question marks. Questions about its origin; questions about its content, ingredients and mixing formula; questions about prescription and qualification of the producer; and, more importantly, questions about the regulatory framework upon which the product thrives. To residents of Abuja and adjoining states, where the herbal product is prominent, Sacra Herbs are a cheap and effective option whenever they are down with ailments. Still, months of rigorous investigation, which includes extensive laboratory testing of the product, put this in serious doubt. The unregistered medicine concoction What Baba Aisha referred to as medicine in the advertisement is a liquid mixture sold in a 120ml unsealed bottle. Each bottle contains a yellowish, minty liquid with a powdery residue. Our investigation reveals that the colour and amount of residue in each bottle are determined by retailers who add a black powdery substance after taking stocks of the pure yellow liquid. The bottle also contains information on ingredients, a list of potential ailments cured, dosage, storage information, registration number, company details, telephone numbers and a picture of the producer. In the 14 locations visited across Abuja, the presentation and details on the items are the same. One quick giveaway on each bottle is that the product carries not one but two NAFDAC registration numbers. The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) regulates and controls the manufacture, importation, exportation, advertisement, distribution, sale and use of food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, chemicals and packaged water in Nigeria. NAFDAC\u2019s Food, Drugs and Related Products Act states that no herbal medicinal product should be manufactured, exported, advertised, sold or distributed in Nigeria unless registered. But here is Sacra Herbs with two registration numbers \u2013 A7-2551L and A7-2590L- tagged \u2018NAFDAC REG NO\u2019 on each bottle. We checked the NAFDAC open portal to confirm whether both registration numbers are genuine; they were tagged as \u2018fake\u2019 on the agency\u2019s search portal. With some scepticism, we pressed further and then came across some reports that could confirm this revelation. In September 2017, NAFDAC impounded some Sacra Herbs products after the agency\u2019s several efforts failed to get the producer to complete their registration and give full details of the products. Has Baba Aisha completed his registration since then? We wrote to NAFDAC to confirm. In response, the agency said the herb was submitted for registration in January 2018. The request was granted after \u201call the necessary procedures for registration were duly followed by the company and proper documentation provided.\u201d NAFDAC noted that it received a registration renewal request in August 2020. Still, it refused to grant, as the application and vetting of the company\u2019s facility for Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) turned out \u2018unsatisfactory.\u2019 If regulations are followed, the concoction should already be off the market since the expiry of its registration, but it remained a \u2018saviour\u2019 for residents seeking cheap medication. Some of the users of the concoction described the stationary vehicles, which are mostly sold in residential communities, as their \u2018hospital\u2019. A few other users who cared to probe its authenticity said they were satisfied that it is registered with NAFDAC, probably ignoring or unaware of the fact that the concoction carries two registration numbers. In a written<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15013,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"hannibal_claim_source":"","hannibal_source_label":"","hannibal_card_color":"blue","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":false,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"","_twitter_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type":"","_pinterest_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"","_medium_share_type":"","_threads_share_type":"","_google_business_share_type":"","_bluesky_share_type":"","_mastodon_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[1572,121,1688,1573],"tags":[],"verdict":[],"ppma_author":[1149],"class_list":["post-15005","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-explainers","category-health","category-news","category-research"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8R6dE-3U1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"authors":[{"term_id":1149,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"kemi-busari","display_name":"Kemi Busari","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Kemi.jpg","url2x":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Kemi.jpg"},"author_category":"","user_url":"","last_name":"Busari","first_name":"Kemi","job_title":"","description":""}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Zaradeen-sells-Baba-Aisha-herbal-medicine-in-Jabi-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1440&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15005","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15005"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15005\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15224,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15005\/revisions\/15224"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15013"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15005"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15005"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15005"},{"taxonomy":"verdict","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/verdict?post=15005"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=15005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}