Why do Maiduguri residents go for urine of camels?

In Nigeria, camels are commonly found in Borno, Yobe, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara States, mostly along the Nigerian borders with neighboring African countries of Chad, Cameroon and Niger. Far from its traditional usage, camels have now taken a role in traditional medicine as their wastes are being used in the cure of some ailments in […]

In Nigeria, camels are commonly found in Borno, Yobe, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara States, mostly along the Nigerian borders with neighboring African countries of Chad, Cameroon and Niger.

Far from its traditional usage, camels have now taken a role in traditional medicine as their wastes are being used in the cure of some ailments in Borno State.

Aside from eating the camel’s meat, some people drink the urine, despite its soar taste and unpleasant smell because they believe the waste has medicinal value.

During the week our reporter came across some youths at the Maiduguri central Abattoir in Gamboru area of the metropolis conducting the unusual business.

They were seen “tapping out” urine from camels and when he asked the reason why, they confidently said the urine is no longer a waste product; Rather, it has the potency of curing diseases.

One of the youths, 24-year-old Idrissa Umar, asserted that “the urine of camel is highly medicinal and can cure typhoid, kidney ailments, stomach pain, hypertension and many diseases you may think of.”

Kanem Trust gathered that most of the people who slaughter camels for sale at the abattoir engage in this business. According to the traders, people  from within and outside the state buy the urine of the animal for medical purposes.

“Many people have been cured of different diseases after drinking the urine of camel,” Umar claimed.

According to him the price of a bottle of the camel urine ranges from N200 and N500.

“I have been in this business since my childhood days and have been saving substantial amounts of money which I am using in sponsoring myself at school,” he added.

According to him, a dosage of camel urine is taken along with honey in the morning and evening, pointing out that when the disease becomes critical, it will be taken thrice daily.

Most of the people who engage in the urine trade are youths between the ages of 18 and 27. Some Almajirai (traditional Islamic school children) also engage in this business.

They are seen roaming around the abattoir, tapping the urine from the camel and putting it in a container and selling it to prospective buyers.

Some of the customers were seen waiting for the youths to tap the urine  from the camel. It is observed that a polythene bag is usually wrapped around the genital of the camel so that whenever it passes-out the urine, it gets into the bag instead of dropping on ground.

Kanem Trust gathered from the traders that all categories of people, including the rich and the poor patronize the camel urine sellers.

“People do come here with big cars to buy the urine either for themselves or some members of their families suffering from one kind of ailment or the other.” One of the sellers claimed.

While this reporter was interacting with the urine sellers, a jeep suddenly came into the abattoir and the man the wheel asked for the product. After collecting it, he thanked the vendor, paid the money and zoomed off.

It was gathered that the demand for the camel urine is high during the hot seaso. This according to the urine sellers, is because many diseases manufest more during the hot season.

“We sell much during the hot season because people patronize us much at this time. For me, I engage in other businesses during the rainy season because of low patronage,” Modu Fantami, camel urine merchant said.

Surprisingly the prices of the urine go up during the rainy period despite the low patronage which the urine sellers attributed to bad roads.

It was learnt that during the rainy season, the camel routes become impassable, making the movement of camels very difficult as the Tuaregs, moving along with the camels cannot cross rivers and lakes.

Most of the camels, Kanem Trust learnt, are brought to Nigeria from Chad, Niger Republics and Gubio local government area of the state.

Mallam Maina Mohammed, a buyer seen anxiously waiting to get some of the urine when our reporter visited, said “I have been drinking camel urine for the past 20 years and it cures all kinds of diseases. I like to drink it mostly during the hot period, the milk is also nutritional.”

A butcher at the market, Sumaila Ahmed told Kanem Trust that in addition to the urine, the camel bone is also grounded into powder and taken with water, as medicine.

“No part of the camel is useless because it is a rugged animal that eats various kinds of plants and obviously, you know that both conventional and orthodox medicines are derived from plants”,  he added.

Speaking on the potency of the camel urine, a veterinary doctor with the Borno State ministry of Agriculture and Mineral Resources, Dr Sani Anjili, said that it has not been scientifically proved that the urine of a camel can cure diseases.

“It is now very common to see people taking it because of the belief that it can cure… it is working for them,” Dr Anjili said.

“The drinking of camel urine  is a psychological belief that since camel is a desert animal it can resist all kinds of diseases. People in the urban centres drink the urine to treat their diseases and it works for them because of their belief ” he told Kanem Trust.

He, however, called on research institutes to carry out investigations and analyze the urine to ascertain the facts.

Our correspondent observed that the slaughter of “newly arrived” camels is sometimes delayed deliberately so that urine can be tapped. “We get a lot of money from the waste which to us is a source of additional income that comes without stress,” one of the sellers said.