Traders at the popular Ogbo Ogwu Bridgehead Drug Market in Onitsha, Anambra State, on Tuesday, took to the streets of the commercial city to protest the prolonged closure of their shops by the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The aggrieved traders under the auspices of the Concerned and Genuine Members of Ogbo-Ogwu Drug Market, also rejected an alleged two million naira fine imposed by the agency for the reopening of shops at the market which has remained under lock for two months now.
Displaying banners with various descriptions showing their anger, the traders lamented the economic hardship, financial burdens, and reported deaths among traders since the forced closure of the market.
They said that the closure has led to severe hardship, with at least five members reportedly dead due to stress, depression, and hunger, while many others have been hospitalised.
Some of the banners read: “Trouble is too much for us,” “We are not merchants of death,” “We are saving lives,” and “NAFDAC, stop the intimidation now.”
National Convener/Secretary of the group, Chinedu Ifeacho, alongside co-convener Emmanuel Ozoemenam, who spoke to journalists during the protest challenged claims by NAFDAC that the market had been reopened.
“We urge the Federal Government to intervene and investigate the alleged seizure of fake drugs,” Ifeacho said.
“NAFDAC officials illegally broke into our shops in our absence and carted away over 60 trailer loads of genuine, registered drugs,” he added.
Also speaking, Ozoemenam demanded a high-powered investigative panel to examine the confiscated drugs and NAFDAC’s actions, the immediate and unconditional reopening of the market, prosecution of individuals found in possession of fake or substandard drugs, and the removal of the current caretaker committee, citing inefficiency in representing the traders’ interests.
One of the affected traders who identified himself as Prince Friday Osisi, alleged that NAFDAC confiscated high-quality drugs manufactured by multinational pharmaceutical companies from the USA, Germany, Turkey, and Pakistan.
He dismissed the agency’s claims of fake and substandard drugs, saying they were malicious lies aimed at tarnishing the market’s reputation.