Sweet sweet codeine: Nigeria's cough syrup crisis – BBC Africa Eye documentary

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Sweet sweet codeine: Nigeria's cough syrup crisis – BBC Africa Eye documentary


In Nigeria, thousands of young people are addicted to codeine cough syrup – a medicine that’s become a street drug.

The Nigerian senate estimates that 3 million bottles of codeine syrup are drunk every day in just two states – Kano and Jigawa.

But who makes this syrup? And who sells it to Nigeria’s students?

BBC Africa Eye went…

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30 Comments

  1. Please make sure you have subtitles/CC turned on in the video settings, they will provide translations or clarity where needed. Thanks for watching!

  2. A fantastic documentary which has taken a lot of courage to go undercover and top investigative intelligence to unearth; Great bravery, empathy and compassion from this powerful sister, however, pouring those codeine bottles down the sewage is not ethical as the sewage outlet runs into our water – ways, faun and flora. Chemicals should be responsibly destroyed and not used to pollute the environment.

  3. What was the point of these investigations? No arrests are made and these men free to continue to sell on the black market or are they planning on buying out the codeine supply to flush down the drain. What exactly was the point?

  4. Here we go, round and round again and again.
    When will countries realise that prohibition will never work, the war on drugs is a farce and a hypocritical one at that as alcohol is perfectly legal.
    The black market is the issue here just as usual.

  5. Love this very strong woman she is so brave and I applaud her .thank you so much for doing this documentary .May God Bless you always. Holy Moley that man was brave to infiltrate the gangs . Wow he must have nerves of steal ,he did a great job and also is very brave .

  6. 🙋🏾‍♀️ it was proper popular up until 2013 but now it’s not they you using stuff like Flocka Flocka here in the United States. Totally different drug makes you crazy.

  7. 🙋🏾‍♀️ and is yo on people through Europeans. Europeans set the stuff up for black Africans to sell it to black Africans. Yo black Africans are selling out your own people just like you did in slavery. This is a shame all for power and money.🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

  8. 🙋🏾‍♀️ man, Africa, and what is used to be man Africa, a woody used to be Mayall and let those white people make y’all zombies so they can take over Africa and that’s just what they doing white man, European then they don’t continue Fenian all that bullshit with their religion, and now y’all are new slaves slave ain’t never ended .

  9. When it gets banned or made prescription controlled, there will be a huge boom in heroin. Like when Oxy and similar opioid pills suddenly got strictly regulated after years of over supply.
    If fentanyl finds its way to Nigeria over actual heroin then there will be untold overdoses! Unlike US or EU, there is no rapid access to nalaxone overdose reversal drugs. Every single OD will result in death if nalaxone is not administered quickly.
    Codeine addicts are already heroin addicts because both drugs metabolise into morphine & they stimulate the same endomorphin pleasure receptors. Withdrawal syndrome is similar for codeine and heroin.
    Aus & Tasmania grow the bulk of the world’s supply of codeine rich poppies while Afghans & illicit poppies tend to be cultivars that produce more morphine precursors.
    It would be very interesting to see a follow up documentary on this subject. It’s really a serious problem, people don’t just stop because it gets harder to obtain, the sickness is unbearable, people will do desperate things to avoid withdrawal of codeine.

  10. Well codein metabolism to morphine in about 10% in humans livers, After about 300-450mg the enzymes are used and more codein wont work u have to wait several hours. It’s really way less harmful then oxycodone, fentanyl or other potent opioids…u can’t die on overdose when u are not susceptible but it’s still addictive and bad shit

  11. Excellent investigative journalism by Nigerians. The perpetrators have been identified. What is left now is to apprehend and prosecute the perpetrators of the crimes. ECOWAS must immediately build a specific type of prison geared for this type of issue and crimes.

  12. You know what…its just syrup, let em have it. Would you prefer American toilet meth? The grass isnt greener. Its on them tho to use and not abuse the substance. When people ABUSE, not use, a substance, they are abusing other people as well

  13. When the Bible said money is the root of evil, This is perfect Example. Even though it kills or cause you to go mad, I don’t care let me just make money of you. Lord help please!!

  14. Amazing documentary, amazing work.
    It was amazing how they were able to single-handedly take down all three companies without firing a single bullet or getting in a fight like that commander almost got his leg cut off.
    This is exactly what Nigeria needs more of, and other African countries – that is, individuals who are willing to face their own country's problems instead of blaming external factors.
    That's the only way the world will respect them.
    Good job.