The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) sealed two shops in Abuja on Wednesday for allegedly selling unapproved products to Nigerians. The shops, located in the Zuba Central Motor Park and Utako Main Market, were found to be offering a range of unregistered items marketed as aphrodisiacs, including “Hajiya Ayesha Snuff,” “AK47,” “Bulletproof,” and “Hajiya Aysha Maisanda.”
Mr. Tamanuwa Baba, Deputy Director of the Investigation and Enforcement Directorate at NAFDAC, said the operation was launched after intelligence reports identified the shops. “The products are meant to boost sexual performance, and some were said to have been manufactured in Ghana,” he explained. Laboratory analysis confirmed that these items contain pyridine, a chemical that can be harmful to the human body.
“We found a lot of unregistered products in the two shops. We will begin immediate investigations,” Baba added. In Zuba, the agency apprehended the sales representative while awaiting the shop owner’s return from a trip. “We will contact the owner to determine the source of these products. From the labels, some appear to be manufactured in Ghana,” he said.
Sellers claimed the products induce a high and are used as aphrodisiacs. After the investigation, NAFDAC will destroy the items because they have not been registered. A similar batch of products was discovered at a shop in Utako known as Kabo Investment Limited. Baba warned that such products have flooded the Nigerian market and are spreading rapidly, noting a previous operation in Sokoto that also resulted in the removal of these items.
He emphasized the health risks, stating that pyridine can cause cancer, skin irritation, and even death.
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