PHIL OKOSE, Onitsha

 

Two human rights groups, Human Rights Liberty Access and Peace Defenders’ Foundation (HURIDE) and Campaign for Democracy (CD), South East Zone, have unequivocally condemned the exploitative and extortionist tendencies of the National Agency for Drugs Administration and Control( NAFDAC) in Onitsha, Anambra State.

 

In a press statement signed by the  Executive Director of HURIDE and Chairman of Campaign for Democracy (CD), High Chief Dede Uzor A Uzor,  the rights groups said the extortion of 700,000 per individual trader in the name of penalty charge against traders at Onitsha Drug Market was a clear case of extortion and ethnic victimisation.

 

NAFDAC had on March 6th,2025, at Onitsha Drug market with combined security operatives of the Nigerian Army, the DSS and the Nigerian Police and other security forces invaded the market and clamped down on it with the aim of impounding and confiscating unwholesome and adulterated drugs.

 

The groups said that they don’t support any form of adulteration,  fake and substandard drugs  because, according to them, “drug fakers are  more  dangerous than  armed robbers.”

 

According to the group, “an armed robber will target his victim, but a faker targets the entire world if allowed to operate.”?

 

They contended that NAFDAC was not clean in its operation, saying that they did not consider the health of some citizens whose lives depended on some potent saving drugs from United kingdom (UK),  United State of America (USA) and other advanced countries whose drugs haven’t been registered with  NAFDAC because of the bureaucratic bottleneck and huge amount being demanded by the agency before such drugs would be registered.

 

Unfortunately, said the rights groups, these drugs, amounting to over N1.5 trillions, were said to have been impounded by NAFDAC.

 

They asked NAFDAC to, as a matter of urgency, return all the monies collected from traders in the name of penalty fees before such shops would be reopened.

 

CD/HURIDE  called on the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC)  to immediately commence a discreet investigation into the financial dealings of NAFDAC  officials during and since the clampdown, especially monies that accrued via payment by defenceless and innocent traders running into billions of naira.

 

“We are calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT) to set up a special investigative team led by a retired Judge of the Supreme Court to unravel NAFDAC financial dealings in the last 20 years,” said the group.

 

The rights groups equally urged the Federal Government to support the Anambra State government in her efforts to establish an International Standard Drug Market (ISDM) at Oba in Idemili South Local Government Area of State whose construction is on-going.

 

They said by now, NAFDAC  should have known and arrested sizeable numbers of those who are dealing in fake drugs and prosecute them, wondering why they should impose a fine of N700,000 per individual shop with a single individual being indicted.

 

“Does payment amount to legalisation of fake drugs if such payments are made?

Does it mean that everyone in the market was involved in dealing with fake and unwholesome drugs”?

We shall support the ongoing 7-day plan with the likes minds,Civil society groups, Opinion leaders, stakeholders and cooperate organisations on the ongoing plans to engage in a massive protest that would shake the foundation of Nigeria.

 

“We call on President Bola Tinubu to immediately order the arrest and prosecution of South East and South South NAFDAC zonal officers based in Enugu for alleged official corruption and gross misconduct and his alleged criminal display in payment of N700,000 per individual shop,” they pleaded.

 

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