NAFDAC under fire

Traders at the Ogbo-Ogwu Bridgehead Drug Market, Onitsha, protested on Tuesday over the prolonged closure of their shops.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) sealed the market over alleged fake drug sales.

Under the aegis of Concerned and Genuine Members of Ogbo-Ogwu Drug Market, the traders decried their economic hardship.

Over 2,000 traders carried placards, marching from Oshogbo Park to River Niger Bridge and back to Uga Junction.

They claimed at least five traders had died, while several others were hospitalised due to depression and hunger.

The protesters alleged that NAFDAC demanded N2 million from each trader before reopening their locked shops.

The National Convener, Ifeanyi Chinedu, said NAFDAC’s claim that the shops had reopened was false.

He urged the Federal Government to investigate the seizure of drugs, insisting genuine products were confiscated.

According to him, NAFDAC officials raided shops in traders’ absence, carting away 60 trailer loads of goods.

He said the seized drugs were legally registered and sourced from multinational companies in the USA, Germany, and Turkey.

He accused NAFDAC of spreading false claims that all confiscated drugs were fake and substandard.

The traders challenged the government to set up a panel to verify NAFDAC’s actions and claims.

They alleged that NAFDAC officials looted shops illegally, breaking in without owners present.

A vote of no confidence was passed on the market’s caretaker chairman and his executives.

They demanded the immediate resignation of the caretaker committee and the reopening of the market.

NAFDAC allegedly imposed a N2 million fine per shop, calling it a documentation fee.

The traders rejected the fine, urging intervention from the National Assembly and Federal Ministry of Health.

They demanded the unconditional reopening of the market to allow genuine businesses to operate.

They claimed the market’s closure led to untold hardship, with traders struggling to survive.

A trader, Uchechukwu Ola, lamented that the closure had left them without means of livelihood.

He insisted that their products were genuine and NAFDAC’s accusations were baseless.

However, NAFDAC’s South-East Zonal Director, Martins Iluyomade, dismissed the traders’ allegations.

Iluyomade said the enforcement lasted from February 10 to March 5 and followed legal guidelines.

He maintained that all seized drugs lacked NAFDAC approval and posed risks to public health.

He further stated that the confiscated drugs could destabilise the country due to their narcotic content.

NAFDAC reaffirmed its commitment to eliminating fake drugs from the Nigerian market.

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