Leadnaija
The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, Intersociety, on Tuesday, called on the authorities of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, to end the siege on Onitsha Drug Market and five adjoining others by security agencies....Don’t Miss Out! CLICK HERE TO KEEP READING..>>
DAILY POST recalls that the market was shut down two weeks ago as part of NAFDAC’s clampdown on fake drugs merchants.
However, in a statement issued by Intersociety, signed by Chinwe Umeche, Head, Democracy and Good Governance Program, Chidinma Evangeline Udegbunam, Head, Campaign and Publicity, Obianuju Joy Igboeli, Head, Civil Liberties and Rule of Law and Emeka Umeagbalasi, Board Chair, the rights group said over N20 billion has been lost to the closure.
The group said five adjoining markets, namely: Oduwani part of the Carpentry Tools (Power Tools and Allied) Market, the Surgical Line Market, the Plumbing Materials Market, the Ogbogwu Fashion Line Market, the Bridgehead Provision Market and part of the Timber Dealers Market were also affected.
It prevailed on the NAFDAC to refrain from “further exposing the Nigerian Military or officers and personnel and high commands of the Nigerian Armed Forces to unprofessionalism and corrupt practices.
“The Intersociety is also calling for immediate re-opening of the affected markets and refunding of not less than N20 billion being losses incurred by the innocent traders of the six affected markets since Sunday, February 9, 2025, particularly traders of the Onitsha Drug Market.”
The group equally condemned alleged similar shutdown and militarization of other markets in Idumota in Lagos and Ariaria in Aba, Abia State.
It said since the shutdown, not only that the traders of the affected Onitsha Drug Market had incurred billions of naira losses amounting to not less than N20 billion, but had also been starved, threatened and forced out of their legitimate businesses.
According to the group, “The worst of it all is that traders and leaders of the five unaffected markets have permanently been shut out and denied access to their shops and legitimate livelihoods.
“While we are not against sanitization exercise by NAFDAC geared towards ridding the country of fake and adulterated drugs and stamping out their dealers and manufacturers, we strongly condemn the militarist approach adopted, and corruptive attitude of the authorities of the NAFDAC particularly the way and manner the Onitsha Drug Market and five adjoining others that have nothing whatsoever to do with fake and adulterated drugs were invaded, shut down and put under lock and key since Feb 9, 2025; a period of nine days going into fourteen.
“The NAFDAC and its hired soldiers of the Nigerian Army are also insensitive to the plight of over 95% of traders in the Onitsha Drug Market and 100% of traders of the other five adjoining markets unlawfully and militarily shut down and forced out of their legitimate businesses since Sunday, February 9, 2025.
“From all indications, the NAFDAC and its hired Nigerian Army invaders goofed when they heavily relied on guesswork and poor planning and despicably engaged in punitive, bias, discriminatory and selective enforcement operations.”
“We hereby call on the authorities of NAFDAC and their hired officers and personnel and high command of the Nigerian Army to as a matter of uttermost immediacy reopen the militarily, corruptly and unlawfully shutdown Onitsha Drug Market and those located in Idumota in Lagos State and Ariaria in Aba, Abia State.
“NAFDAC must refrain from encouraging corruption and unprofessionalism in the Nigerian military and stop using them to militarize the Agency’s civil and law enforcement operations.
“Traders of the Onitsha Drug Market and those in Lagos and Abia must steer clear of fake and adulterated drugs or trading on illicit hard drugs such as codeine, cocaine, contraband tramadol and allied others.
“The Executive Governor of Anambra State, Prof Charles Soludo, is hereby called upon to wade into the matter and facilitate speedy re-opening of the Onitsha Drug Market and five adjoining others.
“NAFDAC is further advised to go after fake and illicit drug kingpins responsible and leave innocent others alone who constitute over 95% of the entire Market’s traders.
“Breaking market stores belonging to traders of the Market in their absence and confiscating their goods, whether done in the hours of the blue law or in broad day light, is a serious misconduct and an unlawful act capable of attracting a flurry of lawsuits against the NAFDAC and its hired officers and personnel and high command of the Nigerian Army.
“The NAFDAC field operators must always go to the equity with clean hands and avoid operational illegalities and corrupt practices as well as being corporately a party to militarization and stifling of Civic Space in Nigeria or any part thereof,” it further stated.
