Police Arrest Five Selling Unapproved Herbal Medicine In Kano

The Kano State Police Command has arrested five people for allegedly distributing and selling unapproved herbal medicine during a medical outreach in the state.

The suspects, believed to be members of the Brother Paul Legacy Foundation, were arrested on Tuesday at the ECWA Church behind the 52 Police Mobile Force Base in Challawa after residents raised concerns about the exercise.

Police spokesperson, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, said the group drew a large crowd from the Panshekara community by offering the locally made herbal medicine free of charge while also selling some to members of the public.

Kiyawa identified the group’s leader as Simon Gbaaondo, a 50-year-old resident of Karu, Nasarawa State. He said the herbal medicine being distributed had not been approved by the relevant health authorities.

“The outreach was carried out without the approval of the state government, NAFDAC or other regulatory agencies responsible for monitoring the distribution of medicines,” Kiyawa said.

He added that the individual who made the church premises available for the outreach had also been invited by the police to explain how the programme was organised.

According to him, the case was first reported at the Panshekara Police Division before it was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.

Kiyawa warned individuals and organisations against conducting medical outreaches or distributing medicines without the required approvals, saying such activities could endanger public health and safety.

He also urged residents to report suspicious medical outreaches or the distribution of unverified medicines to the nearest police station, assuring them that the command would continue to enforce the law against offenders.