By Idris Muhammed Abdullahi
In the search for profit, we have become enemies of our own survival. Across Nigeria, an alarming trend has emerged , a silent epidemic of self-inflicted harm, all in the name of business, greed, shortcuts, and ignorance. The streets, markets, and shelves are now saturated with substances that kill slowly. These are not weapons of war or foreign invasions. No. These poisons are the result of what we do to ourselves. It is time for deep soul searching, responsibility, and urgent intervention.
The Evil in the Markets
Walk into any market today, and you’ll find produce and food that look appealing to the eyes, shiny, ripe, fresh. But beneath the surface lies a cocktail of death. Plantains and bananas are ripened with carbide, a chemical that can cause cancer and damage internal organs. Beans are preserved with Sniper (Gan Alene), a pesticide meant to kill insects , but which is now killing us.
Fish and crayfish are treated with industrial chemicals (locally known as (OTapiapia) to keep them “fresh,” while some oils are turned from dark red to golden yellow using dangerous dyes and acids to mimic imported cooking oil. All of this is done with one intention: to make money faster and cheat consumers.
The wine industry, once a source of pleasure, has become a one-way ticket to liver and kidney failure, as unregulated brews mixed with synthetic alcohol and preservatives are sold to unsuspecting customers. Meanwhile, creams and skincare products, including those used by children, contain carcinogenic agents and hydroquinone, while popular brands of toothpaste and toiletries are filled with triclosan, a chemical now banned in many developed countries due to its cancer risk.
Religious Leaders, Where Are You?
This is not just a regulatory or health issue , it is a moral collapse. Our religious leaders, pastors, imams, and traditional heads must rise and speak truth to this evil. Every day in churches and mosques, we teach love, honesty, purity, and righteousness. Yet, many of our congregants go home to engage in wicked practices that poison their fellow Nigerians and ultimately, themselves.
Religious leaders must do more than preach prosperity. Where is the sermon on ethics in business? Where is the rebuke of greed, the call to responsibility, the warning against cutting corners? Spiritual leaders have a role in shaping the conscience of the nation, and this is a crisis that demands bold, fearless voices.
Parents and Guardians, What Are You Teaching?
To every parent and guardian: what values are you instilling in your children and wards? When we raise young people to admire money at all costs without asking where it came from , we lay the foundation for a future of corruption, shortcuts, and death.
We must teach our children integrity. We must teach them that success without conscience is failure. That money made from harming others is not a blessing — it is a curse. It is time for families to reclaim moral education at home before it’s too late.
NAFDAC: Where Are You?
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) must step up, and fast. The markets are flooded with poisons. People are dying. Cancer, liver disease, kidney failure , these are no longer rare conditions. They are everywhere.
We need:
Aggressive market raids and prosecution of sellers using illegal chemicals.
Mass sensitization campaigns in local languages.
Stricter import control of harmful cosmetics and fake wines.
Partnerships with community leaders, trade unions, and local governments to report bad actors.
Clearer labeling laws and public exposure of brands using banned substances.
This is not the time for bureaucracy. This is a national emergency.
A Wake-Up Call
The evil that men do to themselves is now a public health catastrophe. It is a tragedy of greed, selfishness, and insensitivity. It is time to choose between quick profit and lasting health, between deceit and truth, between selfishness and collective survival.
Let us remember: when you poison your neighbor’s food, you also poison your nation’s future and your own.
If we don’t change, we are heading for a future where the biggest killers won’t be disease or war but our own hands, and the evil we chose to do to ourselves.
Let this article be a call to action, for the market seller, the preacher, the parent, the regulator. Nigeria is worth saving. But we must begin by saving ourselves from ourselves.
Idris Muhammed Abdullahi is a public affairs analyst and advocate for fiscal justice in governance from Kano.
