8/18/18 NEWS32
Authorities of the Snakebite
Treatment and Research Centre, Kaltungo in Gombe state, have revealed that over
400 snakes of different varieties are being exported from the centre to
Liverpool in England every month.
Dr. Abubakar Ballah, Officer in
charge of the centre, who made the disclosure to newsmen in Kaltungo on Thursday,
said the snakes exported served as raw material for the production of
anti-snake venom.
“The manufacturers extract the
venom from the snakes to produce the drugs,” he said.
He said the raw material provided
for the processing of the anti-snake venom made the drugs cheaper in Nigeria
when compared with countries that did not supply raw material for its
production.
Ballah said countries that do not
supply the raw material were buying a single vial of the drug at the cost of
1,900 USD, which is equivalent to N684, 000, while the same drug in Nigeria is
N35, 000.
According to him, the same drug
in the United States for rattle snake that undergoes the same process of
production costs between N7million and 8 million, which is very
expensive.
He said the Centre engaged people
within Kaltungo and its environs to catch the snakes and package same, at the
cost of between N500 and N1, 000 per snake, depending on the size of the
reptile.
The officer in charge said the
snakes were usually taken to Abuja from Kaltungo, from where they are packaged
and exported to England.
“On arrival in England, they will
undergo some screening to ensure they have not suffered because Animal Rights
Organisations are on the watch; after following the process, drug production
commences,” he said.
Kaltungo town in Kaltungo Local
Government Area of Gombe, popularly called the ‘Snake Haven’ lies within the
Snake belt region of Northern Nigeria, and is known for its abundance of
different species of snakes.
The common species found in the
area are Carpets Viper, Puff Adder and Cobra. (NAN)
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