Onitsha Drug Market Closure: Group Petitions Soludo, IGP, NAFDAC, Others

Posted by Ignatius Okpara Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Wednesday, February 26th, 2025

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Irked by the continued closure of the Onitsha drug market and it’s militarization, Human rights group, International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law InterSociety, has petitioned the Anambra state Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo, Minister Of Health, Director General D- G, NAFDAC, Inspector General of police IGP, and the National Security Adviser (NSA) over the situation.

Other key public office holders, the organization sent the petition to includes, National Security Adviser (NSA), Minister Of Interior, the Police Service Commission Boss, Director General DG-DSS, Chief Of Army Staff, Senate Committee Chairman on Health, and House Of Reps Committee Chairperson on NAFDAC, and Speaker of the Anambra state House of Assembly, amongst others.

Board Chairman of InterSociety, Comrade Emeka Umeagbalasi, a Criminologist, disclosed this in a statement he jointly signed with top management Staff of the organization, and made available to newsmen on Wednesday.

It stressed the need for the immediate reopening of the said market because of its “social-security consequences awaiting the “continuing militarist shutdown.

According to the statement, the continued shutdown of “the Onitsha Drug Market (Ogbogwu Market) and six adjoining others by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and its hired and drafted soldiers of the Nigerian Army and officers, joined by a handful of personnel of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF)and Department of the State Security Services (DSS)” is highly condemnable.

It said “Intersociety, Nigeria’s leading research since 2010 has taken national campaign against the militarist closure and collective punishment operations by NAFDAC and its hired others to Fifteen (15) key authorities and persons in Nigeria; calling for immediate re-opening of the affected Markets.

The statement was also signed by Barr. Chinwe Umeche,

Head, Democracy and good Governance Program in the organization, Barr Chidinma Udegbunam, Head, Campaign and Publicity, and Barr. Obianuju Joy Igboeli Head, Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, urges the relevant authorities to intervene as a matter of urgency.

“The Intersociety’s advocacy letters further called for restoration of livelihoods of the affected innocent traders who constitute more than 95% of traders in the affected markets and thorough and conclusive investigations into alleged operational illegalities and corrupt practices by those operationally deployed.

It noted that “the Intersociety had in her letters, dated February 24 and 25, 2025, identified Sixteen (16) alleged operational illegalities and corrupt practices, demanding thoroughly and conclusively be investigated for purposes of establishing their authenticity or otherwise.

“And holding those involved (if) accountable and avoid future repetition of the ongoing blundered, procedurally erroneous, militarist and collective punishment operations.

“We had as a follow-up to our detailed and widely published advocacy statement of Tuesday, February 18, 2025, presented letters of protest and concern to the following key authorities and persons”

The includes, “gov Charles Soludo of Anambra State who had commendably visited the affected Markets on Saturday, February 22, 2025, Anambra State House of Assembly Speaker, Rt. Hon Somtochukwu Udeze, PhD., National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, (PhD)., Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Retired (DIG) Hashimu Argungu.

Also written was, “Minister of Interior (Internal Affairs), Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyade and Director General of Department of the State Security Services, DG Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi.

“Other recipients are, Minister of Health, Dr Muhammad Ali Pate, Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, Senate Committee Chairman on Healthcare Services, Senator Ipaliba Harry-Banigo, House of Reps Committee Chairperson on NAFDAC, Hon Mrs. Regina Akume, Member, Representing Ogbaru Federal Constituency, Hon Afam Victor Ogene, Member, Representing Onitsha North/Onitsha South Federal Constituency.

“Hon Obiajulu Idu Godwin Emeka and Sir Ifeanyi C. Ejiofor, Esq., a foremost human rights lawyer and Chief Counsel/Principal Partner of I.C. Ejiofor & Co., Abuja.

“The letters to Fifteen (15) key authorities and persons were successfully delivered to them by our lawyers and field activists between Monday, February 24 and Tuesday February 25, 2025, after which their acknowledgement copies were secured or obtained.

” The recipients have been identified as key stakeholders with statutory and oversight responsibilities, powers and influences to end the continuing militarist shutdown of the affected Markets including that of Ariaria in Aba, Abia State following the ongoing militarist and collective punishment operations by NAFDAC and its hired allies.

It explained that “the core stakeholders among those written to, were further urged to avoid policies and actions capable of breeding criminalities and criminals of tomorrow including kidnappers, armed robbers and internet fraudsters.

” They (NAFDAC, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force, Police Service Commission, NSA, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Interior) were called upon to thoroughly and conclusively investigate the collective punishment operations as a whole and alleged operational illegalities and corrupt practices thereto.

To be investigated the group said, are, NAFDAC’s operational officials and hired officers and personnel of the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force, with exception of DSS officers and operatives who are exempted until the contrary is established.

The group also insisted that NAFDAC must account for Alleged 20 (40ft) Containers Of confiscated Drugs in the market.

“Strong demand was made for detailed and forensic accounts of estimated more than Twenty (20) 40-Feet Containers of confiscated drugs, composed of licensed local pharmaceutical companies’ produced drugs.

“NAFDAC-registered but confiscated and carted away drugs, multinational and globally approved but confiscated and carted away drugs; fake, counterfeited, adulterated, expired and substandard drugs; as well as confiscated and carted away illicit hard drugs (Tramadol 200mg, Tramadol 225mg, Codeine, Cocaine and allied others);

It alleged that the said drugs “valued at nothing less than N400 billion; confiscated and carted away in the absence of most, if not all their owners and leaders of the Market including their central and line leaders who were also forced to surrender their market’s main entrance and line keys.

“The Intersociety is further aware of widespread concerns over zero accountability associated with ownership, quantity, quality, whereabouts and safe custody of the confiscated and carted away drugs (licit and illicit).

“It was also strongly reported that there are little or zero verifiable records available to traders and their leaders regarding the shop locations of where such drugs were seized, confiscated and carted away.

” The purpose of such detailed and unbiased investigations under our strong demand is therefore to ensure probity and accountability particularly on the status of all drugs, both licit and illicit; seized, confiscated and carted away from Onitsha Drug Market and others.

“All the above must be followed up with an international press conference by NAFDAC and leaders of its hired and drafted soldiers and other security agencies to give graphic account of the ownership of such seized, confiscated and carted away drugs (licit and illicit).

” Locations of their seizure and confiscation and amount they worth; quantity and amount of the multinational and globally approved drugs that were seized, confiscated and carted away and rationale behind their seizure and confiscation.

“Quantity and amount of those registered by NAFDAC but confiscated and carted away, quantity and amount of those produced by Nigerian pharmaceutical companies but confiscated and carted away.

Also, quantity and amount of seized, confiscated and carted away fake, adulterated, counterfeit and expired drugs; quantity and amount of seized, confiscated and carted away others categorized as “contraband and illicit hard drugs including Tramadol 225mg, Tramadol 200mg, Codeine, Cocaine and allied others.

The group equally averred that NAFDAC must also publicly speak up and address serious concerns by some victim-traders over possible unaccountability of hundreds of millions of naira worth of cash sums left in their shops including those in the Point of Sale (POS) cash transactions.

“Those preserving hard currencies in furtherance of their import and export businesses and those keeping tens of millions of naira in cash for new local purchases and payment for purchased goods; all caught unaware by abrupt shutdown and militarization of the Market and adjoining others since 9th Day of February 2025; a period of three weeks going to thirty days.

“To this end, heads of NAFDAC and its hired coercive establishments and their constitutional oversight bodies written to, were strongly called upon to identify all those involved in the ongoing NAFDAC’s militarist and collective punishment operations in Onitsha and elsewhere since Sunday, 9th day of February 2025.

“Including the Agency’s field staffers and officials involved and drafted soldiers and their field and barracks commanders, and drafted personnel of the Nigeria Police Force and their field and barracks commanders.

“Other than deployed DSS officers and personnel who are exempted until contrary circumstantial indictment is established.

“The above operational officials, officers and personnel, when properly identified, must have their bank accounts and those of their spouses and grown-up children above 17 Years of Age placed under close digital monitoring for six months using their biometrics including NIN and BVN numbers.

It said this would enable the authorities to digitally ascertain movement of money that comes in and goes out of their bank accounts.

“Such electronic monitoring is to further ascertain the actual role they played in the Onitsha Drug Market NAFDAC’s militarist and collective punishment operations and ensure that cash sums in their bank accounts tally with their legitimate earnings or remunerations as serving Civil/Public Servants”.

“Where the contrary becomes the case or found to have been circumstantially and corruptly linked to the NAFDAC’s militarist and collective punishment operations ongoing in Onitsha, Aba and Lagos.

“Those found wanting must be tracked down, exposed, prosecuted and severely punished and such criminal monies in their bank accounts frozen and retrieved.