By Asmau Ahmad
Two weeks after a strange ailment ravaged the ancient city of Kano, the National Drugs Law and Enforcement Agency has released preliminary result of clinical test it conducted of the substances that caused the recent strange illness in the state.
According to the agency, harmful chemical sold as citric acid, also known as Dan Sanmi, was the source of the illness, which claimed not less than four lives, and got over 300 persons were hospitalised.
NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, made the confirmation in Kano, shortly after she meeting with Kano State Governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, at the State Government House.
Professor Adeyeye, who claimed that the chemical was allegedly smuggled into the country through unidentifiable sources and sold by local vendors for N3,000 against the N30,000 market value of such product.
“Before now, the agro-chemical that was supposed to be Dansanmi is used to make drinks sour, but it is not the chemical used but poison, that led to the death of three persons I believe and some others, who had various illnesses.
“Three of the flavoured drinks were not registered, with NAFDAC, only two were registered. Something that is supposed to be bought at N30,000 was being bought at N3,000, while some others sell do sell it at the rate of N10,000.”
While noting that three out of the five sampled products were not registered, with the agency, Adeyeye promised that a comprehensive report of the laboratory test would be announced as soon as investigations were completed.
In his remarks, Governor Ganduje appreciated the effort of NAFDAC in working hand in hand with the Kano State Government in taming the strange illness in the state.
“For now, the source of those substances is known to the authorities: while we arrested many consignments, we’re still combing our markets thoroughly,” he said.
Ganduje said he was happy that the process of examining the substances was hastened by NAFDAC.
He said his government was building a drug market at the new Dangwauro Modern market, to sanitise the drug procurement system.
