By Izunna Okafor, Awka
In what may be described as an unfortunate and condemnable incident, a woman and cloth seller has lamented over the alleged looting of her boutique shop by the operatives of the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) during a raid and seizure of fake and expired drugs at the popular Ọgbọgwụ Market in Onitsha, the commercial hub of Anambra State.
This is coming days after the Agency stormed the market in a coordinated enforcement operation to clamp down on the illegal sale of counterfeit and expired pharmaceutical products, after which the market was sealed and locked until recently when it was reopened for commercial activities.
The woman, who sells clothes in a nearby boutique shop, was seen in a viral video, crying and lamenting helplessly when she visited her shop to resume trade after weeks of lockout, only to discover that her shop had been emptied, with all her wares allegedly taken away.
The one-minute-forty-six-second video also shows the allegedly looted shop looking empty and scanty, with the shelves, hangers and drawers now left bare. The distraught woman could be heard wailing uncontrollably as she called for justice.
According to her, she had invested her hard-earned money into stocking the shop with quality clothing items before the sudden closure of the market, only to return and meet it ransacked. She decried the injustice of the situation, wondering what clothes have to do with drugs, that her boutique would be affected by a raid meant to sanitize the pharmaceutical sector.
While stressing that her means of livelihood had been unjustly taken away, leaving her in serious distress, the woman, who also showed her face in the video, expressed deep frustration over the situation, calling on the government and concerned authorities to intervene and ensure justice was served.
“NAFDAC has looted my shop! NAFDAC has looted my shop! Just look at my shop! This is where I make my money. NAFDAC has looted my shop, all my clothes are gone.
“What does the boutique have to do with drugs? What does the boutique have to do with NAFDAC people? Government come o! Government should come to my aid. My shop ooo! Look at my shop! This is where I make ends meet! NAFDAC oo… NAFDAC has looted my shop ooo!” she lamented.
As of the time of filing this report, NAFDAC is yet to officially respond to the allegations, even as concerned citizens and traders continue to express outrage over the incident, demanding an investigation into the claims and possible restitution for the affected shop owner.
Watch the video below:
