By Chioma Okezie-Okeh
A medical expert has warned against the unadvised use of sex enhancement drugs popularly known as ‘Kayamata’ and similar locally produced aphrodisiacs. The drug is said to help a man to maintain his libido and a woman gives him sexual satisfaction in a way that helps to keep him away from philandering. But in a stern warning issued by Babagana Bako, a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Gombe State University, he insisted that the side effects of the drugs are much more dangerous than the advantages being advertised by sellers. He, therefore, asked buyers to beware. Among other things, he said it could severely damage a woman’s sexual organs.
But as this reporter recently found out, despite the warning, hawkers who believe in its efficacy have continued to advertise it to anybody they feel is in dire need of it. One of them who gave his first name as Garuba and who the reporter ran into while on an official assignment somewhere employed every trick of salesmanship in the books to convince her to buy one. The only problem he had was that he wasn’t discerning enough to know that he was talking to a journalist. Secondly, he did not know whether the person he was talking to had a need for the drug or not. But give it to him, Garuba, a fast and plausible talker, could make a good campaign manager for any of the big parties that hope to sell its Presidential candidate to the Nigerian electorate. He is that good at marketing a product he believes in.
The drama in front of a mosque
He strategically positioned himself in front of a mosque on this Friday. From there, he shouted at passersby, especially women, to come and save their marriage from outside women. As it happened, you too were passing through the place when he beckoned on you to “come and save your marriage.” You decided to play along, to hear him out. You smiled and asked him what he meant. He said that he could give you a potion that would make your husband remain faithful to you. In front of his makeshift stall were all kinds of fragrances and candles. He specifically drew your attention to a sugary syrup made of honey but put inside a container. He said that there is a sweet stick one can chew and feel like having sex continually till the effect wears off.
Then he showed you the one he said you could rub on your private part to keep your man under your control. A further enquiry showed that it’s a mixture of oil and other herbal material. When it seemed to him that he might have captured your attention, he said to you, waving his hand over the product: “You simply use it when you are intimate with your partner and whatever request you make, he must do it.”
Alarmed, you queried the possibility of the drug being diabolical and Garuba, in a hushed tone, said more arrangement could be made to get you the drugs that can attract rich men to you without getting intimate with them. He was still busy explaining things to you when his neighbour, identified as Mohammed, joined him. He asked you to wait till the prayers were over to see how people would rush to buy the products. He explained that most of the buyers from the South are women from polygamous homes. The competition for their man’s affection is high, he said, and the women would do whatever it takes to attract their husband’s attention to themselves. He also asked you to refer your spouse to them.
You queried the source of the products and Mohammed explained that they have vendors from Kano, Kaduna, and Borno that produce them. Whenever they want to do the ones that have spiritual backing, especially the waist beads, their powerful clerics would pray over them, he further narrated. Not wanting them to feel disappointed that you did not buy any of the advertised products presented to you, you promised to come back at some other time to make some purchases from their hands.
It’s okay to charm the man you love – female user
But further enquiries have shown that, as Mohammed said, many Nigerian women and men are big-time patrons of the products. Aisha Sadiq, a housewife from Borno confessed that she uses it. She told Saturday Sun in Pidgin English that it is okay for a woman to charm the man she loves. Her words: “It is good based on the way you use it. Many women these days are struggling through one illness or another which has indirectly reduced their drive. In order to spice up their sex life and satisfy their spouses, some women use it.
She then added: “Some women have dryness in their private parts; they don’t feel anything during and after sex. Secondly, I will recommend it to my spouse because most men have weak libido. Some of the men are not romantic. But it will restore power to their manhood. It also connects you to your spouse somehow. It is very good for married women as long as they are using it to preserve their marriage. Keep your home from breaking. Instead of going to Babalawo, I prefer you spice up yourself and give it to him the way he wants it. Most of the women outside use Kayamata to snatch our husbands. Every married woman should take care of themselves and be prayerful because some of the men, no matter what you do, they will still look outside.”
A senior police officer who identified himself as Abdulraham said he couldn’t do without it. His words: “It is meant for women; it is not diabolical as they claim. It has no spiritual attachment. The one they do is a local spa for women especially from Arabic countries or Kanuri land. It is good for women to prepare themselves, relax their nerves and look beautiful, tender and attractive to their husbands. It’s just like make-up that women do in the South. In the far North, it is the traditional way of taking care of women, especially the newly wedded. In my place, if a lady is going to her husband’s house today, they would prepare her for two days with Kayamata. There is no spiritual attachment to it. It is an Arabic tradition and when I was a child, we used to see our elder sisters and mothers make use of it.”
Many men depend on Kayamata
Jubril Muhammad, a Lagos-based businessman said that Nigerian men are more in need of ‘Kayamata’ than women even as he warned against the health danger of its blind usage. He argued: “The women use it to have full control of their husbands and to keep them away from outside distractions. They believe that it works, especially if you are the only one married to your husband. The other wives believe that they would be the favourite among others. They believe that the sex-enhancement drug would give them power over the man’s thoughts and money.” All the same, he warned: “The fact is that 90 per cent of these products is fake and the women may end up damaging their kidneys and livers. This is one of the reasons such illnesses are common among users. They would mix concoctions and start to advertise it that it is super. You get women who would say that are using it and it’s working for them. Desperate women would be rushing for it. If by coincidence, things start working for them, the women would assume that it’s the product. Most times, it is not true. But there are some that work. I am only sure of the ones used by men. It is also common in the North. You see so many men selling them in hotels. They approach you with the hope that you brought a lady to the hotel. If you see three men discussing, that is what they are talking about. They would share their experiences.”
Muhammad alleged that most of the locally made potions for men are mixed with Tramadol tablets. He explained: “Taking it alone can help a man last longer during bedroom activities. This is the major reason Tramadol is in high demand in Nigeria. If you get addicted to it, you cannot perform without it. There are some that are purely herbal. There are some that are tea. It works. There is another one mixed with honey and herbs. It makes your manhood stronger and bigger. I can assure you that it’s a fact based on personal experience. Our brothers from the South prefer Western medicine that has heavy side effects. But the ones that are sold in the North are the most effective. Women need to be satisfied. That is why men go to any length to do that so that they will be respected. Work hard in the night and your wife will make you happy in the morning.”
Doctor warns against self-inflicted injuries
Prof. Bako is not in agreement with the views expressed by either the hawkers or Muhammad. He said: “I have asked some of my patients how they use it. Some would say that they use fruits, sugary materials or concoctions containing herbs. They have different types. But the truth is, most of them are concoctions. Only a few of them are directly from fruits. Some would swallow them orally while others would insert them in their private parts. One difference I noticed is that the one they swallow as Kayamata is usually meant to put the woman in the mood throughout the mating period. The one they insert in their private parts is meant to make it shrink.
“Those that take it claim that it is very effective. But as a scientist, good sex has its own psychological component. If the woman is happy, the woman is comfortable with the process. If a woman feels that she is ripe for it, she would be excited to mate. Unfortunately, most of the women that take this product are young women. Naturally, they have enough hormones in their system to enjoy sex. So I find it difficult to categorically align with the assertions expressed on ‘Kayamata.’ I remember a patient that got admitted because of its use. In her case, she inserted it in her vagina. I noticed that it is like an alum salt. It absorbs water and makes the private part dry. Once it is dry, they feel that it has shrunk. They feel the vagina is smaller and tighter. This is one of the reasons they use it. The truth is that the product is a corrosive chemical and can burn them and cause injuries in their private parts. It is clearly unsafe. The patient I am talking about had her vagina extensively scarred and we had to take her for surgery.”