The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has cracked down on the manufacturers of a herbal intoxicant, popularly known as ‘Kurkura’, as well as herbal aphrodisiacs and alcoholic bitters in the country.
This follows reports on the widespread use of Kurkura, especially in the South-West and northern parts of the country.
The Director-General, NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, who made this known at a press briefing held in Abuja on Friday, said findings revealed a dangerous trend in the use of such substances laced with high concentration of tobacco and cannabis.
According to her, the Kurkura herbal preparations discovered in circulation include Five Minutes Power Herbs Medicine, Haonu Laha Herbal Mixture, Gamzaki Tradomedical Herbal Mixture, Barakallahu Multipurpose Herbal Mixture, and Sabon Karfi Herbal Mixture.
She said while Haonu Laha Herbal Mixture was registered with the agency, it was laced with unapproved substances that were injurious to the body.
Adeyeye stated, “Kurkura is an illicit product illegally consumed for the sole aim of getting intoxicated. The substance, when abused, can be harmful to body organs such as the brain, kidney and liver. The damage to the kidney and liver cannot be overemphasised. This substance can cause irrational thinking and an altered state of mind, which if taken by a driver can lead to a road traffic accident with the attendant fatality consequences or can lead to criminal behaviours such as rape, kidnapping and murder.
“Another herbal preparation that is of concern is aphrodisiac and we have discovered the lacing of it with cannabis.
“In our recent operation, we impounded the following dangerous herbal aphrodisiac at some Islamic herbal medicines shops in Zaria, Kaduna State – Gagare Man Power, Minister for Man Power, Almenjou for Lazy Men in Bed, Nisan Zango Karfin Maza, Shagalin Ka Man Power, Dakan Jia Man Power Enhancement, Wuff Male Sexual Performance, Afafata for Sexual Drive, etc.
“So far, one of the illegal factories involved in the production of such unauthorised products has been shut down and the owner arrested. Worthy of note is the discovery of the usage of Hyergra 200 (Sildenafil Citrate tablet), Amafranil tablets (Clomipramine tablet 25mg), and Cannon Extra (Paracetamol 500mg+Caffeine 30mg) in the production room. The owner admitted that he dissolves the Hyergra 200, Cannon Extra and the Amafranil in a drum and mixes the content with boiled Kanafari, garlic, Dundu, Marke, Hankufa, sweetener and Sodium Benzoate to make up the Man Power preparation. Yet the label on the preparation reads 100 per cent herbal.
