Dr Salisu Sani, the producer of Sacra Herbs, popularly known as Baban Aisha herbal medicine risks three or more years imprisonment including huge fine options if found guilty of the laws he had breached.
Last Wednesday, operatives of the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and police officers arrested Sani when they stormed the premises of Sacra Multi-Links Limited, where the popular herbal product is being produced.
The local herb producer was arrested following an investigation by Premium Times revealing how his herbs could cause harm to the human system. The investigation proved that Baba Aisha violated a number of laws to cheat some procedures.
Investigation Reveals Popular ‘Baba Aisha’ Concoction Could Damage Kidney, Cause Cancer
The laws breached by the producer of the herbal concoction are numerous, which may land him in prison depending on the court’s judgement.
LAWS BREACHED BY BABAN AISHA
Section one (3) of the NAFDAC Good Manufacturing Practice for Herbal Medicine Products states that no herbal medicinal product should be manufactured, exported, advertised, sold, or distributed in Nigeria unless it has been registered in accordance with the provisions of the Food Drugs and Related Products Act.
But Baban Aisha breached the law. Investigations revealed that Baban Aisha has not renewed its registration since 2019. The penalty for the violation includes two years imprisonment or a N50,000 fine.
It was discovered that the producer of Baba Aisha Sacra Multi-Links Limited had, in 2018, fraudulently registered his business without renewal since 2020. The investigation also revealed that the company was not registered with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). Although he breached the law, its penalty was not stated.
In the Herbal Medicine and Related Products Advertisement Regulations, 2021 it was stated that a person shall not advertise herbal medicine and any related product unless the advertisement has been approved by the Agency. Secondly, the advertisement must adhere to certain provisions including not implying an absolute cure and not containing false and misleading information.
But the advertisement used by Baban Aisha in marketing his herbal product violates the law. For this, Baban Aisha risks a year prison term and a N800,000 fine.
The NAFDAC GMP Guideline 2022 forbids the repetition of batch numbering for any product, and there should also be a specific numbering for every product to avoid repetition. It was revealed that the product does not have batch numbers. There are no specific punishments for this violation.
In all, Baban Aisha breached six laws, but not all the penalties were stated.
