The Human Rights Liberty Access and Peace Defenders’ Foundation (HURIDE) and the Campaign for Democracy (CD), South East Zone, have accused the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) of extortion and ethnic victimization of traders at the Onitsha Drug Market, Anambra State.
In a press statement issued in Enugu and signed by the Executive Director of HURIDE and Chairman of CD, High Chief Dede Uzor A. Uzor, the rights groups condemned the agency’s recent enforcement exercise in the market, alleging that traders were forced to pay N700,000 each as penalty fees before their shops could be reopened.
NAFDAC, on March 6, 2025, carried out a raid on the Onitsha Drug Market with support from the Nigerian Army, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Police Force, and other security operatives, in a move aimed at confiscating substandard and adulterated drugs.
While reiterating their opposition to the production and distribution of fake drugs, which they described as “more dangerous than armed robbery,” the groups said the agency’s actions were excessive, poorly coordinated, and had severe implications on the health sector.
They expressed concern that many genuine life-saving drugs imported from countries like the United Kingdom and the United States were also seized by NAFDAC, allegedly due to bureaucratic delays and exorbitant fees required for registration.
According to the rights groups, drugs valued at over N1.5 trillion were impounded, and billions of naira were allegedly extorted from traders under the guise of penalty payments.
“We are calling on NAFDAC to immediately refund the monies extorted from the traders and to reopen the shops,” the statement read.
CD/HURIDE also urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to launch a thorough investigation into the financial dealings of NAFDAC officials involved in the clampdown.
They further called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to establish a special investigative panel, headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, to examine the agency’s financial activities over the last two decades.
The groups threw their weight behind the ongoing efforts by the Anambra State Government to build an International Standard Drug Market (ISDM) in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area, describing it as a step toward proper regulation and safety in drug distribution.
They questioned the legality of the blanket fines imposed on traders without individual investigations, asking: “Does payment amount to legalization of fake drugs? Was every trader in the market guilty of selling adulterated products?”
HURIDE and CD announced plans to mobilize civil society groups, stakeholders, and concerned Nigerians for a week-long protest to demand justice and accountability from NAFDAC.
They also called for the arrest and prosecution of the NAFDAC South East and South South Zonal Officer based in Enugu over alleged corruption and misconduct during the enforcement exercise.
“This level of official impunity must not be swept under the carpet,” High Chief Dede Uzor said, stressing the need for urgent government intervention to protect innocent traders and ensure regulatory transparency.