Kano Arrests Fake Doctor Over Illegal Drug Distribution

The Kano State Government has arrested a suspected fake medical practitioner accused of conducting an unauthorised medical outreach and distributing unapproved drugs to members of the public in the Panshekara area of the state.

The suspect was apprehended during a joint operation by officials of the Kano State Ministry of Health, the Private Health Institutions Management Agency (PHIMA), the Kano State Centre for Disease Control (KNCDC), and the Nigeria Police Force following intelligence reports about the alleged illegal activity.

According to the Ministry of Health, the suspect, said to have travelled from Nasarawa State, organised a public medical exercise where he allegedly administered substances into the mouths and eyes of hundreds of residents without carrying out proper medical examinations or obtaining approval from the relevant authorities.

The ministry further alleged that the suspect distributed a green liquid, claiming it could cure more than 100 ailments, while collecting money from participants.

Authorities said the operation was launched after residents raised the alarm over the outreach, leading to the arrest of the suspect and the confiscation of the drugs and other materials used during the exercise.

Speaking on the development, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, described the arrest as part of the state’s ongoing efforts to rid the healthcare sector of quackery and protect residents from unsafe medical practices.

He urged members of the public to report anyone posing as a healthcare professional or carrying out suspicious medical activities to the appropriate authorities.

Yusuf also called on community and ward leaders to remain vigilant and monitor activities within their communities, stressing that all medical outreaches and free drug distribution programmes must receive approval from the Ministry of Health before they are conducted.

He warned that organising public drug distribution campaigns, whether involving orthodox or traditional medicines, without official authorisation is a violation of the law and would attract appropriate sanctions.