Kano Police Arrest Five Over Alleged Illegal Medical Outreach
The Kano State Police Command has arrested five suspects over the alleged unauthorized administration and sale of locally made medicine during a medical outreach in Challawa, Kano.
The police said the operation followed complaints from residents over the activity, which also attracted attention on social media.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, operatives of the 52 Police Mobile Force (PMF), Challawa, intercepted six men attached to the Brother Paul Legacy Foundation at the ECWA Church located behind the 52 PMF Base in Challawa.
The statement identified the group’s leader as Simon Gbaaondo, 50, from Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
According to the police, the suspects were administering and selling unverified locally made medicine to a large number of residents from Panshekara and surrounding communities without obtaining clearance from the Kano State Government, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and other relevant health regulatory agencies.
Police also invited the individual who hosted the group at the church premises to assist investigators in unraveling the circumstances surrounding the exercise.
The case was initially reported at the Panshekara Police Division before being transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Kano State Police Command for further investigation.
The Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, warned individuals, organisations and charity groups against administering drugs or conducting medical outreaches without the approval of relevant authorities.
He said such activities could pose serious health and security risks, particularly when they involve large gatherings.
The police urged members of the public to report suspicious medical outreaches or the distribution of unverified medicines to the nearest police station, assuring that anyone found violating the law would be dealt with in accordance with due process.
The command added that further information on the case would be made public as investigations progress.