Rights Group Calls On NAFDAC To Refund Over N3.5Bn Allegedly Extorted From Onitsha Traders

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Human Rights group, International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has again reechoed its call on the National Agency for food Drug Administration and control NAFDAC, to as matter of urgency refund the estimated N3.5 billion it allegedly extorted forcefully from traders at the Onitsha Drug market  shut down for several months now.

It said the money “must be refunded to their estimated 2,500 – 3000 payers at the Market with 20% interest.

The rights organization also stressed the need  for the NAFDAC Director General DG, its South-East Director and other top officials involved in the alleged unlawful closing of the market to submit themselves to public accountability “by stepping down for thorough and unbiased investigations into the Agency’s operational illegalities at Onitsha Drug Market.

It frowned that despite public  outcry and series of petitions by InterSociety, including statements by Senator Tony Nwoye and 2023 presidential flag bearer of Labour party, Mr. Peter Obi, NAFDAC has remained adamant in reopening the market.

“Apart from the referenced petitions of ours including those dated February 24 and 25, 2025 and April 29, 2025, and several media statements connected thereto; we have also been following the goings-on at the Market including reading and analyzing recent statements by NAFDAC DG, Prof Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye.

 Also, “The NAFDAC DG’s referenced statements included that of May 26, 2025, in which she falsely accused a leading social media influencer, “Very Dark Man” (Martins Vicent Otse) of “colluding with fake drug merchants and inciting public unrest”.  

“As if that was not enough, the NAFDAC DG exhibited a culture of incorrigibility and went further to incite security agencies against Activist Citizen Martins Vicent Otse (Very Dark Man) and falsely accused him of “violating the Cyberstalking Act”. 

“The NAFDAC DG had also in the same statement claimed that “the Onitsha Drug Market was re-opened on March 9, 2025, and over 2,500 traders occupying 3,500 shops have resumed operations, having complied with the necessary regulatory procedures” (including payment of the sundry extortionist fees under contention).

“The NAFDAC DG issued another statement on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, consciously or unwittingly indicting her Agency by admitting the imposition and forceful collection  of the sundry extortionist fees she tagged: “administrative fee of N5m (per product/brand) for selling unregistered (multinational) products which was later reduced to N200,000 after pleas” 

“She also admitted that her Agency collected another extortionist fee tagged: a separate N2m charge for violating Good Storage and Distribution Practices, also reduced to N500,000”.

“Contrary to the National Agency for Food and Drug Control and Administration’s DG’s claims, there are three major types or categories of extortion fees introduced and enforced by the Agency at Onitsha Drug Market; namely: “Poor Storage Fee of N700,000” for every market store owner and a separate “N200,000 Poor Storage Fee” for every packing store owner at the Market.

” Third extortionist fee is labeled: “N200,000 charge for each multinational drug or product and its wholesaler including lifesaving and food and body system supplement drugs or products unregistered by NAFDAC”. Imposed, too, was self-incriminating undertakings made mandatory for every payer-trader at the Market.

“In other words, a wholesaler of such products who has complied with NAFDAC’s extortionist conditions is likely to have paid the Agency as follows: N1.4m (for having not registered each of brands or products) if he or she has seven brands or products; another N200,000 (for poor storage) .

“If he or she has a packing store and another N700,000 (for poor storage) if he or she has a market store. We have also investigated and found that NAFDAC effected the collection of the sundry extortionist fees by using the Agency’s CBN-linked account number and details as follows: Account Name: NAFDAC Project TSA; Account No. 3000063142; Bank: Central Bank of Nigeria; Payment Channel: Real Time Gross Settlement. 

“The referenced CBN-linked NAFDAC’s TSA account was found to have been blocked hours after the unconditional re-opening of the Market on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, and abrupt cancellation of the sundry extortionist payment exercise.

  The statement was jointly signed by InterSociety Board Chairman, Emeka Umeagbalasi, Chinwe Umeche, Esquire, its human Rights Lawyer/Head, Democracy and Good Governance, and  Barr. Chidinma Evangeline Udegbunam, Head, Religious Freedom and Human Rights.

It therefore posited that the NAFDAC boss, Prof. Adeyeye), “Dr. Martins Iluyomade (South-East Director) and other top officials of the Agency have lost moral ground to continue as sworn members of “the NAFDAC Council”. 

“They are hereby called upon to honorably step down or be suspended by relevant authorities including the Minister of Health and Social Welfare to ensure unbiased, thorough and conclusive investigations into the Agency’s activities at Onitsha Drug Market.

 “Strongly condemned is an indiscriminate resort by NAFDAC and other Government Agencies to the abrogated Cyberstalking Act of 2015, now used as instruments of State terror.

 “The rush with which the Anambra State Police Command went into the matter and took side is a clear case in point and strongly condemned. 

“It is shocking that the Anambra State Police Command is starkly ignorant of the amendments carried out in 2024 in the Cyberstalking Act of 2015, now cited as “Cyberstalking Act (as amended) 2024” in which its draconian Section 24 was surgically operated upon and most of State terror provisions deleted.

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