By Mahmoud
For weeks, residents of the Kumbotso LGA neighborhood had seen banners and young men handing out cards. The Brother Paul Legacy Foundation, they said, was offering “free medication” to anyone who registered. To families struggling with clinic bills, it sounded like mercy.
Printed with an NGO logo and an address in Karu, Nasarawa State, the registration cards assured free treatment. But after signing up, people were quietly asked to pay “processing” and “drug” fees. The free offer was just the bait.
Printed with an NGO logo and an address in Karu, Nasarawa State, the registration cards assured free treatment. But after signing up, people were quietly asked to pay “processing” and “drug” fees. The free offer was just the bait.
A few residents noticed the “health workers” couldn’t answer basic medical questions. There were no certificates on the wall. No government seal. When asked for ID, the men changed the topic. Whispers started in the market: this might not be real.
Acting on that suspicion, residents reported the operation to local leaders. The tip was forwarded to the Kano State Ministry of Health. It was exactly the kind of credible intelligence officials needed to act.
Teams from the Ministry of Health, PHIMA, KNCDC, and the Nigeria Police Force, Kano Command moved in together. At the makeshift facility in Panshekara, they found tables, registration books, and unlabeled drugs. The suspects were arrested on the spot.
Initial investigations confirmed what residents feared. The leader and his team were not qualified health workers. They had no certification and no approval to run a health facility. Yet they were treating people and collecting money in the name of charity.
After the raid, the group was handed over to the Kano State Police Command. They remain in custody at the Police Headquarters while investigations continue into how long they had operated and how many people they had defrauded.
Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf addressed the public. He urged Kano residents to only seek care at government-approved facilities and from licensed professionals. He thanked the police under CP Alhaji Ibrahim Bakori for the swift action, and praised residents for reporting the case.
In his closing remarks, Dr. Yusuf vowed the state would keep fighting quackery to protect lives. He called on everyone to keep reporting suspicious health activities. In Panshekara, the tables are gone — but the message remains: if it sounds too good to be true, check if it’s legal first.
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