Kano arrests fake doctor over distribution of unapproved drugs

The Kano State Government has arrested a man suspected of posing as a medical practitioner for allegedly distributing unapproved drugs and conducting an unauthorised medical outreach in the Panshekara area of the state.

The suspect was apprehended during a joint operation involving 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 after authorities received intelligence about the activity.

According to the Ministry of Health, the suspect, who allegedly travelled from Nasarawa State, gathered hundreds of residents and administered substances into their mouths and eyes without carrying out any medical examinations or obtaining approval from relevant health authorities.

The ministry alleged that the suspect also distributed a green liquid, claiming it could cure more than 100 diseases, while collecting money from members of the public.

Health officials said residents alerted KNCDC and PHIMA to the exercise, prompting a coordinated operation that led to the suspect’s arrest and the seizure of the drugs and other materials used during the outreach.

Reacting to the development, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, said the operation underscores the government’s commitment to protecting residents from quackery and unsafe medical practices.

He urged members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report individuals posing as healthcare professionals or conducting suspicious medical activities to the appropriate authorities.

The commissioner also called on community and ward leaders to closely monitor activities within their jurisdictions, noting that the distribution of free medicines and medical services must follow approved government procedures.

He warned that organising public drug distribution campaigns, whether involving conventional or traditional medicines, without authorisation from the Ministry of Health is illegal and attracts sanctions under the law.