By Okey Maduforo Awka
The recent closure of the Onitsha Bridge Head Drug Market has drawn the anger of the United Nigeria Group made up of traders at the market as they have approached the Federal High Court for the enforcement of their foundermental human rights.
The body also contended that not all the traders are culprits in the sale of fake and substandard products insisting that the goods passed through Customs Standard Organization of Nigeria SON before getting to Onitsha lamenting that the traders should not be punished over what they described as the fault of the relevant bodies.
But when contacted the Chairman of Bridge Head Drug Market Onitsha Mr Chukwulota Ndubuisi said that the association is holding a stakeholders meeting on the matter contending that the those that went to court are not traders at the market.
But the leader of United Nigeria Group UNG Peter Okala dismissed his claims noting that majority of the traders belong to the group including his own wife insisting that as NIgerians they have their right for the enforcement of their human rights.
Contouring the Convener Sir Peter Okala who is also the Secretary of Conflict Resolution in the area are praying the Court to grant the payment of N100 million damages as a result of the raid .
This is contained in Suit No PHC/ Awk/ CS/ 40 / 2025 dated 18/02 /2025 against National Agency For Food And Drug Administration and Control NAFDAC.
According to the Applicant Sir Peter Okala while speaking with reporters in Onitsha;
” You may recall that on 10th February 2025 a combined team of officers, officials, Operatives, Agents, as well as armed soldiers drawn from the Onitsha Military Cantonment under the auspices of NAFDAC raided the popular Ogbo Ogwu Market, Niger Bridge head Onitsha, Anambra State, broke into traders shops, confiscated goods worth ₦500 Billion and carted them away to an unknown Destination without any Notice, without a Court order, and/or without a search warrant”
“Before this raid on the 10th of February 2025 members of the Applicants shops involved in the raid were not under any NAFDAC or police investigation whatsoever”.
” However on 10th of February, 2025 NAFDAC raided the popular Ogbo Ogwu Market at Niger Bridge head Onitsha, Anambra State confiscating large quantities of pharmaceutical products and drugs and other non consumables from the Applicants members shops without a Valid Court order or search warrant”
“The South East Zonal Director of NAFDAC Dr. Martins Iluyomade who led other NAFDAC Operatives took both the Market leaders and traders by surprise as NAFDAC Operatives without a Valid Court Order and search warrant moved from shop to shop braking into these shops in the absence of their owners, confiscating and carting away wide range of drugs and products to unknown destination’
“It should be place on record that NAFDAC Operatives have their spies in the Market and some of these spies are jealous of some of their fellow traders who are doing well in genuine business and more successful in business than them and are therefore out to pull them down by collaborating with NAFDAC”
” It is a known fact that NAFDAC Operatives under took the said raid without a Valid Court Order and on false assumption that members of the Applicant at Ogbo Ogwu Market are involved in repackaging and rebagging some drugs in the market which is not true”
“NAFDAC and their operatives refused to show and/or provide any Applicant members shop at Ogbo Ogwu Market where the alleged counterfeit drugs were repackaged and rebaged.”
“This exercise and/or raid has crippled over 2,000 businesses belonging to members of the Unite Nigeria Group(UNG )and rendered the traders whose shops were broken into in their absence without any Valid Court Order and search warrant useless for life”
“This raid is not only targeted at UNG members at the Niger Bridge head Onitsha, but it is also targeted at UNG members in the entire markets in the South East Zone like Aba; Onitsha; Umuahia; Enugu; Abakaliki; and others”
” The drugs and other materials confiscated and carted away so far by the NAFDAC and co without any Valid Court Order and search warrant and in the absence of shop owners is estimated at Five Hundred Billion Naira(₦500,BILLION).”
” The NAFDAC Operation at Ogbo Ogwu Market Niger Bridge Onitsha has rendered over 2,000 members of UNG useless and out of business without any other means of livelihood.”
” This NAFDAC raid of Ogbo Ogwu Market Niger Bridge Onitsha was carried out without Notice to either Bridge head market leadership , Ogbogwu leadership or the executives of the various lines and Association and were done in violation of the Fundamental Rights of members of UNG who were absent during the raid. NAFDAC only swooped on unsuspecting traders at the market without any Valid Court Order and search warrant”
“This world itself is a market place and humanity in general are all traders, trading in cash or in kind during one’s lifetime on earth “so any breach of the fundamental right of any trader at Onitsha, Oshodi, Aba, Wuse market Abuja is an injury to all traders worldwide’
” About 90 percent of the drugs and beverages confiscated by NAFDAC in this Operation at Ogbo Ogwu Market Niger Bridge head Onitsha without any Valid Court Order are not made in Nigeria, they were all imported from Europe and America.”
“Where were NAFDAC, CUSTOMS, IMMIGRATION, ARMY and other security agencies when these goods passed through our country’s border into Nigerian markets without detection and/or seizure from the importers?”
“Members of UNG whose goods were confiscated and carted away are innocent traders doing their legitimate businesses and should not be punished unjustly”
” The rule of engagement for this exercise, confiscation and raid on UNG members shops in all the markets in the South East Zone are very wrong since there was no Valid Court Order or search warrant that authorised NAFDAC Operatives to break into traders shops in their absence, confiscate their goods and cart them away to undisclosed location”
” UNG, members whose goods were confiscated and carted away without any Valid Court Order did not commit any crime by dealing in imported products and/or goods which legitimately passed through the Nigerian borders without any seizure by security agencies”
” In furtherance to this crack down on UNG members shops Nationwide, the Director General of NAFDAC Professor Mojisola Adeyeye who recently spoke in an Arise T.V Prime time confirmed the raid at Ogbo Ogwu Market, Niger Bridge Onitsha as well as confirmed the confiscation of large quantities of goods from UNG members shops”
“The South East Zonal Director of NAFDAC, Dr. Martins Iluyomade working at the instigation of the Director General of NAFDAC has vowed publicly not to stop this raid, confiscation and carting away of traders goods without any Valid Court Order or search warrant at Ogbo Ogwu Market, Niger Bridge head Onitsha.”
“NAFDAC has no laboratory equipped with Modern equipment to do proficiency testing of some of these pharmaceutical products confiscated to ascertain the genuineness or otherwise of some of these products confiscated from members shops not only at Ogbo Ogwu Market, Niger Bridge head Onitsha but the entire markets in the South East Zone.”
“Our members at Ogbo Ogwu Market Niger Bridge head Onitsha, are entitled to be heard first before their goods, property and money can be confiscated and carted away without a Valid Court Order or search warrant by the respondent in their absence”
“Though we cannot stop NAFDAC or any security agency from carrying out investigation of a crime if any but our members at Ogbo Ogwu Market, Niger Bridge head Onitsha, should not be humiliated before the members of the general public, their shops broken into, in their absence and without a Valid Court Order or search warrant and their goods confiscated and carted away to unknown Destination”
” The Acts of the respondents against our members at Ogbo Ogwu Market Niger Bridge head Onitsha is a denial of our members right to personal liberty, right to fair hearing, right to secure and own movable properties anywhere in the country as well as have infringed on our members right to human dignity”
“Based on the above stated and verifiable facts the Unite Nigeria Group (UNG) approached the Federal High Court Awka in suite No: FHC/Awka/CS/40/2025 to enforce the fundamental rights of UNG members at Ogbo Ogwu Market Niger Bridge head Onitsha against NAFDAC and others’
“Among other reliefs, we are praying the Honourable court for perpetual injunction restraining NAFDAC and others; N100 Million Naira Examplary and general damages against NAFDAC & OTHERS. etc”
“It is our utmost believe that unless restrained by the honourable court, NAFDAC will not Desist and/or refrain their Acts of breaching the Fundamental Rights of our members as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution as amended” he stated
