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Alleged Fake drugs: Onitsha Traders drag NAFDAC to Court, demand N500bn as Damages
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 fundamental 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.
Continuing, the Convener Sir Peter Okala who is also the Secretary of Conflict Resolution in the area said they are also 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 breaking 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 placed 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 undertook 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 re-bagging some drugs in the market which is not true.
“NAFDAC and their operatives refused to show and/or provide any Applicant member’s shop at Ogbo Ogwu Market where the alleged counterfeit drugs were repackaged and re-baged.
“This exercise and/or raid has crippled over 2,000 businesses belonging to members of the United 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, among 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
Families displaced by the recent fire outbreak in the Asata area of Enugu have received immediate relief from the Enugu State Government following the intervention of Governor Peter Mbah, who directed that palliative support be provided to ease their suffering.
Chairman of the Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (ESEMA), Chinasa Mbah, disclosed that the agency promptly delivered the relief materials in compliance with the governor’s directive.
“We have given them some palliative as directed by His Excellency. Our report has equally gone in, and we await further instructions,” Mbah said.
She explained that ESEMA has completed its assessment of the incident and submitted its recommendations to the state government, adding that additional assistance for the affected families will depend on the governor’s approval of the agency’s report.
The swift response underscores Governor Mbah’s commitment to standing with citizens in times of distress. The victims, whose homes and belongings were destroyed in the fire that gutted two flats in a two-storey building on Church Road, Asata, are expected to receive further support as the government considers ESEMA’s recommendations.
The National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children’s Education (NCAOOSCE) has defended the inclusion of projects outside its statutory mandate in the 2026 budget, insisting they are National Assembly constituency projects assigned to the commission for implementation.
However, the explanation has done little to quell public scrutiny, with critics questioning why a commission established to tackle the Almajiri system and out-of-school children—challenges largely concentrated in Northern Nigeria—is overseeing projects reportedly located in parts of the South-West.
The controversy has also been fuelled by concerns over the scale of the allocations, as the value of the disputed constituency projects is said to far exceed the funds earmarked for the commission’s core education programmes.
Responding to the criticism in a statement issued on Monday, the commission’s Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Nura Muhammad, said the projects were included in the 2026 Appropriation Act under the long-standing practice of assigning constituency projects to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for execution.
According to the commission, once such projects are approved in the federal budget and allocated to an agency, they become part of its implementation responsibilities.
“As part of a duly enacted federal budget, every project assigned to the commission forms part of its implementation responsibilities and will be executed in strict compliance with extant laws, financial regulations and due procurement processes,” the statement said.
NCAOOSCE maintained that the inclusion of the projects does not alter its statutory mandate, stressing that it remains focused on addressing the Almajiri system and reducing the number of out-of-school children across Nigeria.
The commission cited its achievements, including the profiling of more than 700,000 out-of-school children, the establishment of 119 learning centres, ward-to-ward advocacy campaigns, and the implementation of the National Policy on Almajiri Education, as evidence of its commitment to its core responsibilities.
This version attributes the concerns to critics and public scrutiny rather than stating them as established facts.
A Police Inspector, Dr. Obodo Paul Ikechukwu, has reportedly died after he was involved in a fatal road accident allegedly involving a police convoy in Enugu State.
The deceased, who hailed from Nkpologu in Enugu State, was serving in the Operations Department of the Enugu State Police Headquarters at the time of the incident.
Details surrounding the circumstances of the accident remain unclear, but sources said the inspector was fatally injured after being struck by a vehicle in a police convoy.
Dr. Obodo, who was also a PhD holder, was described by colleagues and associates as a dedicated officer whose death has come as a shock to members of the police command and his community.
As of the time of filing this report, the Enugu State Police Command had not issued an official statement on the incident, while further details are being awaited.
The Spiritual Director of the Adoration Ministry Enugu, , has offered prayers for , praying for God’s favour, protection, and victory as the state approaches the coming elections.
Speaking during a church gathering, Mbaka declared that Governor Mbah would succeed, expressing confidence that God, whom he said had begun a great work through the governor, would bring it to completion.
“It shall be well with Peter Mbah; may the favour of God be with him. We back him with our prayers. The Adoration family throws our prayers around him, that he will succeed, in the name of Jesus. May God grant him the power of victory at the end of the whole election,” Mbaka said.
The cleric further expressed hope that Mbah’s leadership would bring joy to the Igbo people, the people of Enugu State, and the Church, adding that the Igbo economy could witness greater advancement under his administration.
According to Mbaka, the progress recorded so far gives hope that greater achievements lie ahead, stressing that God would perfect the work already begun.
His remarks come as political activities continue to gather momentum ahead of the forthcoming elections.
ENUGU — Governor Peter Mbah has directed the Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (ESEMA) to provide immediate relief materials and other palliative support to two families displaced by the fire that razed a two-storey building at No. 22 Church Road, Asata, Enugu, on Saturday.
The governor’s directive followed reports by Everydaynewsngr that the inferno destroyed two flats and consumed household property, valuables, and important documents belonging to the affected families, leaving them homeless.
The General Manager of ESEMA is expected to assess the extent of the damage and coordinate the distribution of emergency relief items to ease the hardship faced by the victims while further interventions are considered.
Residents of the area welcomed the governor’s swift response, describing it as a demonstration of compassion and responsible leadership at a difficult time for the affected families.
One of the victims, an employee of a higher institution in Enugu State who is said to be approaching retirement, had lamented that the fire wiped out decades of savings and destroyed all his household belongings, including vital documents and certificates.
No lives were lost in the incident, while the cause of the fire is yet to be determined. Authorities are expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding the outbreak as affected families begin the difficult task of rebuilding their lives.
The state government urged residents to remain safety conscious and report fire emergencies promptly to relevant agencies to minimise damage and loss of property.
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