NAFDAC Raids Herbal Medicine Production Site, Arrests Manufacturer in Ibadan
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), on Friday, raided an herbal medicine production site and arrested the manufacturer over registration issues.
Speaking to Newsmen at the premises of the factory, Oladem Company Limited Ibadan, the Director, South-West zone of NAFDAC, Mrs. Roseline Ajayi, said that the manufacturer could not produce any evidence of registration of the herbal product, named: At-Taqwah Multipurpose Herbal Medicine, with NAFDAC before embarking on mass production.
According to the director, there was a tip-off that swung the agency into immediate action by sending surveillance officers to the location, leading to the arrest of the suspect.
Mrs. Ajayi, however, said that the production of the herbal product has been put on hold and the premises sealed due to its unhealthy state.
She added that there are steps and a due process to follow when anyone wants to produce anything for public consumption which the manufacturer of At-Taqwah Multipurpose Herbal Medicine defaulted.
“We have to follow the due process for registration of any of NAFDAC-regulated products of which herbal products happened to be one.
“We have three stages to get a product registered with NAFDAC, which include documentation with payment, inspection and laboratory analysis.
“Also, a sample of the product will be drawn to a laboratory to ascertain its chemical and microbiology components, if it meets specification before approval,”.
Ajayi said that the suspect had yet to apply to NAFDAC for necessary administrative procedures before embarking on mass production of the drug.
“He has not even applied because he knows that no inspection officer will certify a product produced on that kind of premises.
“The sanitary condition of the premises is poor and the premises is not satisfactory for production of anything for human consumption,” she said.
The NAFDAC director stated that the agency had different penalties for different categories of violators.
According to her, the suspect’s offense is criminal and he will be handed over to the enforcement directorate of the agency.
She advised Nigerians to be careful about the herbal medicine they consumed, especially those with multi-purpose healing claims.
The suspect, while answering questions from newsmen, claimed that the herbal product was multi-purpose and that that worked for fever, malaria, body pain, and hypertension.
Ajao said that he had started the production and distribution of the product to different parts of the country in the past five years.
According to him, the product is made from tobacco leaves and other local materials.
The suspect, who said that he had not gone for any training in herbal medicine production, added that he inherited the production process from his parents.
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