Two prominent human rights organizations, the Human Rights Liberty Access and Peace Defenders’ Foundation (HURIDE) and the Campaign for Democracy (CD), South East Zone, have strongly condemned what they describe as massive extortion and official misconduct by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) during a recent clampdown on traders at the Onitsha Drug Market in 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 groups alleged that NAFDAC extorted no less than N700,000 from each trader as penalty charges, amounting to about N3.5 billion, without due process or proper investigation.
The rights groups described the March 6, 2025 operation—carried out by NAFDAC in conjunction with operatives of the Nigerian Army, Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force, and other security agencies—as an ethnic-targeted and exploitative raid. The operation aimed to seize unwholesome and adulterated drugs from the market.
While maintaining their stance against the circulation of fake and substandard drugs, which they described as “more dangerous than armed robbery,” the groups expressed concern over NAFDAC’s lack of discretion during the raid. They noted that many genuine and life-saving drugs—especially those imported from the United States, United Kingdom, and other advanced nations—were impounded due to the agency’s bureaucratic bottlenecks and high registration costs.
“Drugs worth over N1.5 trillion were allegedly seized, even though some of these medications were authentic and essential for survival,” the statement read.
HURIDE and CD demanded that NAFDAC immediately refund all penalty payments collected from the affected traders and reopen the locked shops. They further called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to launch a discreet investigation into NAFDAC’s financial dealings before, during, and after the enforcement exercise.
“We are calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to set up a special investigative panel led by a retired Supreme Court judge to probe the financial transactions of NAFDAC in the past 20 years,” the groups demanded.
They also urged the Federal Government to support the Anambra State Government in the ongoing construction of an International Standard Drug Market (ISDM) in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area, to ensure a safer and more regulated pharmaceutical trade environment.
Questioning the basis of the N700,000 fine per shop without proper identification of offenders, the groups asked, “Does the payment legalize fake drugs? Was everyone in the market guilty of the same offence?”
The organizations announced plans to mobilize a coalition of civil society groups, opinion leaders, and corporate stakeholders for a massive protest to challenge what they termed institutional injustice.
High Chief Dede Uzor concluded by urging President Tinubu to order the arrest and prosecution of the NAFDAC Zonal Officer in charge of the South East and South South regions, based in Enugu, over allegations of corruption and misconduct during the operation.
The statement marks an escalation in calls for transparency and accountability within regulatory agencies, particularly in sectors affecting public health and economic livelihoods.