The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned Nigerians against the use of the drug as treatment for COVID-19.

The warning came on the heels of  wide claims by people who had recovered from the coronavirus infection on the efficacy of Chloroquine.

The agency advised Nigerians to seek proper medical attention instead of relying on claims of Chloroquine efficacy being widely spread by those that survived the attack of the pandemic.

In a statement in Abuja, the Director-General of the agency, Mojisola Adeyeye said: “Nobody should buy Chloroquine and use. If you have COVID-19, go to a doctor. We have warned Nigerians and shall do that again. Do not take Chloroquine.
“The delay in approving some of the drugs for treatment of the virus is because of the clinical trials the agency is carrying out on them.

“So far, no group or individual has proffered any solution to the treatment or management of the pandemic.”

Noting that the Chinese government carried out series of trials on Chloroquine before it approved its use for treatment on some COVID-19 patients in their country, Adeyeye warned that clinical trial should not be handled casually.

”Clinical trial is not a thing one can handle casually; it requires guidance, supervision and experiment before approval so that it will not cause further damage.

“The trial is to determine whether it is actually working or not, after a sustained observation. NAFDAC is supposed to be the centre of the regulation of clinical trial effects.

“Nobody can do any job of clinical trial in the clinic or anywhere without passing through NAFDAC protocol.

”If such protocol is found defective or tend to compromise the health of Nigerians, we will not approve it.”
The NAFDAC boss further said that whatever procedure was coming up for the cure or curtailment of COVID-19 must be submitted for trial to the agency for appropriate processing.
She assured that the agency must would ensure that all the procedures used in arriving at their experimental processes for the cure or curtailment of COVID-19 must be submitted with relevant proof.