NAFDAC crackdown: 5 dead feared, others hospitalised in Onitsha drug market

No fewer than five traders of the drug market in Onitsha, Anambra State have been reported dead and several other hospitalised.

This was announced by the traders during a protest at the entrance gate of the market on Tuesday.

The traders linked the death of their colleagues to the just concluded National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), raid in the market.

According to them, the protest was also to inform Bola Tinubu, the president; Chukwuma Charles Soludo, the Anambra State governor; Moji Adeyeye, the NAFDAC director general; civil society organisations, media and the general public that the drug market Onitsha is still under lock and key as against the reopening report of the enforcement agency.

They accused NAFDAC of asking them to pay N2million each for profiling before they would be allowed to open their shops officially, adding that the agency did not provide them a prior noticed before the enforcement exercise.

A press release signed by the National Convener/Secretary of Concerned Genuine Members of Ogbogwu Drugs Market, Ifeanyi Chinedu and Mr Emmanuel Ozemena was also read during the protest.

The release stated: “We the members of Ogbogwu drug market after our long awaited first general meeting on Tuesday 18th March 2025, with the caretaker committee Chairman and his executives since the inglorious invasion of the market by overzealous NAFDAC officials on February 2025, have studied the activities of the NAFDAC and caretaker executive, before during and after the invasion made the following declarations that NAFDAC invaded our various shops in our absence and carted away NAFDAC registered goods worth Billions of Naira.

“They also carted away drugs from multinational companies from USA, Germany, Turkey, Pakistan, all of international standards and impeccable qualities same drugs they use to request when they travel for medical vacations.

“That the claims by NAFDAC that all the drugs they carted away are fake and substandard are inhuman and malicious lies meant to tarnish the good image of thousands of responsible and genuine business men and women at Ogbogwu drug market.

”That we challenge the federal government to set up a high powered panel of enquiry to investigate the goods carted away in, over 60 trailer loads with the aim of ascertaining the veracity of the claims of overzealous Director General of NAFDAC and some of her corrupt officials.

“That the claims by NAFDAC officials that our various shops were being searched in our presence are another set of malicious and fabricated lies meant to carpet their heinous crime of barbaric breaking, entering, searching and loathing of someone’s shop in his absence including boutiques and wine shops in the market in this 21st century and democratic world.

“That we reject in it’s entirety the criminal fines imposed on us by NAFDAC and call on the federal minister of health and National Security Adviser , the National Assembly to come to our rescue.

“That the claims by NAFDAC that Ogbogwu drug market has been reopened since February are lies , malicious, unprofessional , victimization aimed at grounding the source of livelihood of South Easterners when political alienation seems not to be working.

“That we demand the immediate and unconditional reopening of the market to genuine business men and women of Ogbogwu drug market to ascertain the level of loathing bequeathed on genuine business men and women in the market.

“That it has become clear that Chukwuelota led caretaker committee of Ogbogwu market is not capable of leading and protecting the genuine interest of the drug market.

“That we call on the leadership of the caretaker committee to honourable resign with immediate effect for their colossal failure and in-house fighting, that has brought unprecedented, irrecoverable and irreparable damages to the good people of Ogbogwu drug market.

“That we call on the State Governor Prof Charles Chukwuma Soludo to immediately dissolve this ineptitude caretaker committee for the good interest of genuine business men and women in the market, amongst others.”