The Anambra State Government has appealed for an immediate resolution to the ongoing dispute between the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and traders at the Ogbo-Ogwu Drug Market in Onitsha, following the shutdown of several shops over alleged counterfeit drug sales.
The market was closed on February 15, 2025, after NAFDAC operatives, led by the agency’s South-East Zonal Director, Martins Iluyomade, uncovered and confiscated over 10 trucks of counterfeit pharmaceutical products estimated at N1 trillion in value. The fake drugs were later destroyed at the ASWAMA dump site in Awka.
Traders affected by the crackdown, under the aegis of United Nigeria Group, have since described the agency’s actions as “scandalous, outrageous, and reprehensible.” They further alleged that NAFDAC imposed a N700,000 fine per shop as a condition for reopening, with over 1,000 shop owners reportedly having paid the controversial fee.
In response, the traders filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Awka, seeking enforcement of their fundamental rights and the immediate reopening of their businesses.
NAFDAC has maintained that the charges are lawful and federally gazetted, denying any claims of extortion or arbitrary enforcement.
In a renewed effort to resolve the stalemate, the Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Dr. Law Mefor, disclosed that the state government has been in active dialogue with the NAFDAC leadership in the South-East and South-South regions to facilitate peace.
Speaking on Saturday, Mefor clarified that only about five percent of shops in the market remain shut, with most reopened since March 7, 2025. He acknowledged that some traders have avoided returning out of fear of profiling, and others have cited the unaffordability of the imposed fines.
“The government wants all the shops speedily reopened and therefore appeals to both NAFDAC and the affected traders to cooperate to make the process seamless and bring it to an end,” Mefor said.
He added that if the fine is deemed unlawful, traders know the appropriate legal steps to take. However, if found to be lawful, he urged NAFDAC to temper justice with compassion.
To further address the underlying concerns, the commissioner announced that the state government is working towards relocating the market to a new central drug hub in Oba, which will offer improved standards for drug storage and distribution.
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