Group demands refund of over N3bn allegedly collected by NAFDAC from Onitsha drug market traders
A civil society group, the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), has demanded immediate refund of over N3 billion allegedly collected from traders at the Onitsha Drug Market by the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
It could be recalled that the market has been shut since February this year following an operation by NAFDAC.
But there has been outcry that the agency is collecting N700,000 from each of the affected shop owners numbering over 3000.
Justifying the payment, NAFDAC said the N700,000 was a reduced fine for infractions committed by the traders, adding that the fine was reduced from N7 million to N700,000.
However, in a statement issued on Friday by Intersociety, the group asked NAFDAC to refund the money.
The statement was signed by Mr Emeka Umeagbalasi, Head, Intersociety, Chinwe Umeche, Human Rights Lawyer/Head, Democracy and Good Governance, and Chidinma Evangeline Udegbunam, Head, Religious Freedom and Human Rights.
The organisation said such a refund “must be attached with 20% interest. We also understand that between 3,500 and 3,800 affected traders have been forced to pay as of Thursday, May 29, 2025, according to sources linked to the Market.
“We are bold to say that no number of excuses or policy defense and sanctification can justify such imposition and forceful collection from traders that have been kept out of their legitimate businesses for more than 90 days.
“It is also our insistence that we are steadily in solidarity with over 90% of the traders in the Market who are genuine drug traders including those trading on pharmaceutically produced and supplied products and lifesaving and body system supplement drugs. We are also in no way in support of those trading on expired, counterfeit, substandard and fake drugs or products.”
