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By Madu Obi
An Anambra based rights group, the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has accused the authorities of the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) of deliberately victimizing some innocent traders in Onitsha.
The group called on the agency to immediately send out personnel of the Nigerian Army from Onitsha Drug Market and five adjoining markets, where the agency is allegedly using soldiers in the most unprofessional way to shutdown the markets perpetually.
NAFDAC had, on two different raids in Onitsha recently, announced the confiscation of large consignment of suspected fake, adulterated and counterfeit drugs in the market, leading to the sealing off of the bridge head market.
In a press statement, the founder and chairman, Board of Trustees of Intersociety, Mr Emeka Umeagbalasi said in as much as it supports the elimination of fake drugs, NAFDAC is going about it the wrong way by sealing off other adjoining markets that have no dealing with drugs, and also punishing genuine drug dealers.
He said: "NAFDAC must refrain from further exposing the Nigerian Military or officers and personnel and high commands of the Nigerian Armed Forces to unprofessionalism and corrupt practices.
"We are calling for immediate re-opening of the affected markets and refunding of not less than N20 billion being loses incurred by the innocent traders of the six affected markets since Sunday, February 9, 2025, particularly traders of the Onitsha Drug Market."
"The markets were shut down and taken over by soldiers of the Nigerian Army and their NAFDAC hirers-during which the NAFDAC field officials and leaders of the hired soldiers forced leaders of the affected markets to surrender the keys of their gates and lines and took possession of them till date.
"Since then, it is not only that traders of the affected Onitsha Drug Market have incurred billions of naira loses amounting to not less than N20 billion, but have also been starved, threatened and forced out of their legitimate businesses.
"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."
The group listed adjoining markets not related to drug sales that were also sealed off by NAFDAC to include; 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.
The called on the agency to immediately unseal the markets to allow traders dealing in legitimate products to return to their means of livelihood.
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