Motor park herbal drinks may cause organ failure – NAFDAC

The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, has warned Nigerians against consuming herbal drinks and medicines sold at motor parks and informal outlets.

She said some of the herbal drinks could be “nicely packed poisons” capable of causing organ failure.

Adeyeye gave the warning in response to enquiries by Sunday PUNCH on the proliferation, unregulated sale, and consumption of herbal drinks in the country.

The warning came against the backdrop of an outbreak of illnesses and deaths linked to locally prepared alcoholic and herbal concoctions in Ondo State.

NAFDAC disclosed that 48 people had died out of 182 reported cases in the state as of September 17, 2026.

The NAFDAC boss cautioned Nigerians against assuming herbal products are safe simply because they are popular, traditional, or widely available.

She specifically warned against herbal products hawked in cars, on wheelbarrows, and around motor parks, stressing that medicines must be stored and sold under appropriate conditions to preserve their potency.

“Herbal medicines/concoctions often displayed and hawked on shoulders, cars, wheelbarrows, around motor parks are nicely packed poisons that can lead to organ failure,” Adeyeye said.

She also cautioned against alcoholic herbal concoctions prepared outside controlled manufacturing environments, noting that such products could contain undeclared hazardous substances.

Adeyeye urged consumers to avoid products without verifiable NAFDAC registration numbers, incomplete labels, or exaggerated claims.

She added that products sold in reused bottles, unlabeled containers, improvised sachets, or without ingredient lists, batch numbers, and expiry dates should not be consumed.

According to her, consumers can verify the registration status of packaged herbal products through NAFDAC’s public database before purchase.

The agency warned Nigerians against relying on testimonials from vendors or traditional users as proof of safety or efficacy.

“Do not equate availability with approval,” NAFDAC stated, noting that sales in roadside shops, markets, or online do not signify regulatory approval.

Adeyeye dismissed claims that herbal products are inherently harmless, warning that they can produce adverse reactions and interact dangerously with conventional medicines.

“Do not accept claims that ‘herbal means harmless,’” she warned, adding that poor manufacturing practices introduce chemical and microbial contaminants.

She further stated that curative and treatment claims are not approved for herbal products, warning against products aggressively promoted on social media.

“Herbal medicines aggressively promoted with exaggerated or bogus claims on social media and online platforms are often nothing more than rip-offs,” Adeyeye said.

Adeyeye advised the public to report suspicious herbal products or unhygienic manufacturing premises to NAFDAC rather than confronting producers directly.

She urged citizens to note details such as product names, locations, and vendors, and take photographs where safe to support official complaints.

She added that suspected falsified or unregistered herbal products can be submitted with supporting evidence to the agency.

Adeyeye stated that NAFDAC’s call centre, launched on March 28, 2026, is available for complaints via 0800-1-623322 and enquiries via 0700-1-623322.

On preventive measures following the Ondo incident, Adeyeye said NAFDAC regularly conducts market surveillance and mop-up operations to clear unsafe products.

She noted that the agency maintains a public database of registered products and frequently conducts enlightenment campaigns and public alerts to warn consumers.

Adeyeye urged members of the public to report unsafe or unregistered products before they cause harm.