Children with physical and mental deformities in the Nigerian town of Kano are considered the lucky survivors of a controversial 1996 drug trial by Pfizer. The pharmaceutical giant used hospitalized children, sick with meningitis, as guinea pigs for an experimental and unregistered antibiotic called Trovan. While Pfizer claims that the survival rate for the drug trial was at 94 percent, with only 11 out of 200 children dying, Kano officials state that over 50 children actually died.

The Nigerian government started an expert medical panel to review the drug trial after being pressured by families affected and rights groups. The panel concluded that the experiment was “an illegal trial of an unregistered drug”, and a “clear case of exploitation of the ignorant”.

Anas Mohammadu who was 3-years-old at the time of the trial fell ill and was taken to hospital by his parents. His father still burns with anger over the situation. “My son was ill and we took him to the hospital like any other family would. Then the Americans and some local Nigerian doctors injected Anas with this evil drug.” Anas, now 14-years-old, dreams of becoming a soldier but his dream seems unlikely as the trial left him with weak, wobbly legs, and a permanently drooling mouth. He is made fun of in school, and even daily tasks like getting water from a well can be difficult as he gets tired easily and can be pulled by the slightest weight.

Hassan Sani described how his daughter Hajara, now 14-years-old as well (pictured above left), became deaf and mute thanks to Pfizer. Mr Sani said “the American doctors took advantage of our illiteracy and cheated us and our children. We thought they were helping us.”

Many blame Pfizer’s experiment for the mass rejection of polio vaccinations in many northern Nigerian areas. Some Muslim preachers think it was a western plot to sterilize Muslim women. Pfizer denies any wrongdoing, saying that “verbal consent” was given by the parents, and that the trial was medically, scientifically, regulatory, and ethically “sound”. They added that the experiment followed Nigerian regulations and saved many lives. Moreover, they argue that such allegations are “highly inflammatory and not based on all the facts”.

A decade onwards, the Nigerian government is suing Pfizer for $7 billion in damages suffered by the families of the children who passed away and those still suffering from side effects. The Kano state government is filling separate charges against Pfizer. However, money will never be enough to compensate for dead or disabled children. Mr. Sani expressed his anger, saying; “In addition to the compensation, they should be killed like the children they have killed.”

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