Traders count losses as NAFDAC keeps Onitsha drug market closed

• NAFDAC's astonishment raid connected Onitsha's Bridge Head Drug Market led to the seizure of 60 trailer-loads of drugs and a prolonged marketplace closure, devastating traders' livelihoods
• Protesting traders impeach NAFDAC of confiscating genuine pharmaceuticals, imposing unfair fines, and falsely claiming the marketplace has reopened
• Market leaders question dialog with NAFDAC, portion traders request an autarkic probe into the seized goods and contiguous marketplace reopening

Traders successful the fashionable Onitsha Bridge Head Drug Market, nether the umbrella assemblage of 'Ogbogwu Market, Bridge Head, Onitsha,' has continued to number their losses, arsenic the marketplace has remained closed since February 10, 2025, erstwhile operatives of the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), raided the market, reportedly catered distant trailer loads of suspected fake drugs, and closed down the market, throwing hundreds of thousands of households into pains.

Operatives of the agency, led by Dr. Martins Iluyomade, Director of NAFDAC, South-East Zone, during the said raid, reportedly took traders by astonishment arsenic officials moved from store to shop, seizing a wide scope of pharmaceutical products.

Marketers and traders person accused NAFDAC of illegally withholding goods from businesses whose operations and products are ineligible and genuine.
Source: Original

NAFDAC raided Onitsha markets, seized drugs

Among the confiscated items were fake and counterfeit antibiotics, antihypertensives, antidiabetics, antiasthmatics, aphrodisiacs, antimalarials, anti-inflammatory drugs, herbal remedies, and psychoactive substances.

According to the agency, the raid besides uncovered banned drugs, including Analgin, Tramadol (above 100 mg), Gentamycin (280 mg), Codeine, and controlled substances, alongside vaccines, beverages, cosmetics, chemicals, unwholesome nutrient products, and packaging materials.

The NAFDAC leader, Dr. Iluyomade, explained that the cognition aligned with NAFDAC’s mandate to eradicate fake, banned, and substandard products from Nigerian markets to support unsuspecting consumers; adding that implicit time, the bureau person gathered quality connected fake and substandard drugs successful the markets and discovered that radical are repackaging counterfeit drugs to deceive the public.

According to him, the workout was aimed astatine sanitizing the market, safeguarding nationalist health, and removing expired, banned, substandard, and defective drugs from circulation.

Market remains sealed 7 weeks after

Meanwhile, astir 7 weeks aft the raid of the Onitsha cause market, the marketplace reportedly remained closed; a improvement that has affected some genuine traders successful marketplace and their teeming customers.

On Tuesday, March 25, 2025, a radical of traders successful the market, nether the auspices of 'Concerned Genuine Members of Ogbogwu Drugs Market,' organized a protestation march successful Onitsha, wherever they brandished placards of antithetic inscriptions depicting their choler towards NAFDAC implicit what they described arsenic continued closure of the cause market.

Speaking exclusively with our analogous during the protest, person of the protesters, Emmanuel Ozoemena, claimed that "overzealous NAFDAC officials stormed the marketplace without anterior notice; broke into shops successful the lack of store owners and traders, and yet carted distant sixty (60) trailer loads of drugs worthy respective billions of naira."

He further noted that the assertion by NAFDAC that the cause marketplace has been re-opened is simply a large lie, as, according to him, the full marketplace remained nether fastener and key; adding that NAFDAC requested traders successful the marketplace to wage 2 cardinal naira per store for profiling earlier they would beryllium allowed to spell into their shops.

He said:

"NAFDAC invaded our assorted shops successful our lack and carted distant NAFDAC registered goods worthy billions of Naira. They besides carted distant drugs from multinational companies from USA, Germany, Turkey, Pakistan - each of planetary standards, and impeccable qualities - aforesaid drugs they usage to petition erstwhile they question for aesculapian vacations abroad. "The claims by NAFDAC that each the drugs they carted distant are fake and substandard are inhuman and malicious lies meant to tarnish the bully representation of thousands of liable and genuine concern men and women astatine Ogbogwu cause market."

Ozoemena besides claimed that nary less than 5 traders from the distressed Ogbogwu cause marketplace person reportedly died, and respective others hospitalized, arsenic a effect of trauma from the closure of the market; portion besides saying that galore chemists and pharmaceutical shops person closed down arsenic a effect of the measure, causing respective deaths from treatable ailments.

Also speaking with our correspondent, different protester, Ifeanyi Chinedu, challenged the national authorities to acceptable up a precocious powered sheet of enquiry "to analyse the goods carted distant successful implicit 60 trailer loads, with the purpose of ascertaining the veracity of the claims of overzealous NAFDAC officials."

He besides averred that the claims by NAFDAC officials that shops were searched successful the beingness of traders was different "malicious and fabricated lies meant to screen the heinous transgression of barbaric breaking, entering, searching and loathing of people's shops successful their absence, including boutiques and vino shops successful the market".

He besides rejected what helium described arsenic "criminal fines" imposed connected the traders by NAFDAC, and further called connected the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Security Adviser, and the National Assembly to travel to their rescue.

Another trader, who besides spoke with our Correspondent, Uzondu Chibuike, said that the claims by NAFDAC that Ogbogwu was re-opened since precocious February, 2025, were each lies, malicious, unprofessional, and victimization "aimed astatine grounding the root of livelihood of southbound easterners, erstwhile governmental alienation seems not to beryllium working."

While pledging the traders' loyalty to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Governor Charles Soludo, helium further demanded contiguous and unconditional re-opening of the marketplace to genuine concern men and women successful the market. He besides called for contiguous prosecution of those caught with suspected fake and substandard drugs.

In a abstracted forum, the enactment of the cause marketplace has besides assured the readiness of the traders to dialog with NAFDAC to cognize the mode forward.

In a property league connected Wednesday successful Onitsha, the Caretaker Chairman of the market, Chukwuleta Ndubuisi, said that the enforcement members of the marketplace are gathering with NAFDAC for amicable solution of the matter, and consequent re-opening of the market.

Flanked by different officers and members of the marketplace specified arsenic Benjamin Akudi, Olisaeke Kenneth, Ihuoma Joshua, Machi Clement, Bob Onyeka and Hon Samuel, the marketplace person recalled that erstwhile NAFDAC officials arrived the marketplace successful February, they told him that they had quality study astir beingness of fake, adulterated, expired and unauthorized drugs successful 3 lines successful the market, including: Egbeigwe, Mount Zion and Udoka Lines; stating that trader were not fixed anterior announcement earlier the operatives stormed the market.

The president said though helium would not assertion full lack of fake drugs successful the market, yet, NAFDAC classified bulk of genuine and potent drugs, foods and beaverages of multinational companies from USA, Germany, Turkey and Pakistan - each of planetary standards, arsenic fake because, they were not registered with the agency.

Meanwhile, a NAFDAC authoritative successful Onitsha office, who spoke connected the information of anonymity, due to the fact that helium was not authorized to bash so, told our Correspondent that the money charged by NAFDAC arsenic claimed by the protesters, were authoritative fines and penalties meant for defaulters - not each the traders.

He said:

"Traders successful the marketplace were charged depending connected the class of their offences. They assertion that NAFDAC person not re-opened their marketplace - we did. We lone told them that each trader indispensable travel to our bureau for profiling. Those recovered wanting volition wage required fines, then, spell backmost to their shops. But erstwhile a trader is not recovered wanting successful immoderate way, we'll springiness him authorization insubstantial to unfastened for business. So, we're not holding immoderate trader from opening his shop."

“My Life Is successful Danger,” NAFDAC DG Raises Fresh Alarm

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Director-General of the National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, had raised the alarm implicit threats to her life and the information of bureau staff.

She called connected the national authorities to intervene and urged authorities to support them arsenic they navigate hazardous conditions successful their duties.

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Source: Legit.ng