A rights group, International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), has asked the National Agency for Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to carefully sort out all erroneously seized and carted away drugs during the February 9, 2025, raid at Onitsha, Aba, and Lagos markets, particularly those manufactured by local pharmaceutical companies and globally approved drugs, and return them to their owners without further delay.
It also asked the agency to take immediate steps to address difficulties faced by prospective registrants of globally approved multinational drugs as a way of solving the influx of unregistered drugs into markets.
The group, which petitioned several authorities, including Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State, the National Assembly, NAFDAC, and security agencies, lamented the continued closure of the markets and the delay in concluding investigations into allegations of the sale of illicit drugs.
Chairman of Intersociety, Emeka Umeagbalasi, in the petition dated February 24, 2025, also asked NAFDAC to publicly speak up and address serious concerns raised by some victim-traders over the possible unaccountability of hundreds of millions of naira worth of cash left in their shops, including those in Point of Sale (POS) cash transactions, caught unaware by the abrupt shutdown and militarization of the market and adjoining areas since the incident three weeks ago.
Umeagbalasi also demanded a detailed and forensic account of more than twenty (20) 40-foot containers of confiscated drugs, composed of licensed local pharmaceutical companies’ produced drugs, NAFDAC-registered but confiscated drugs, counterfeited, expired, and substandard drugs, as well as illicit hard drugs, all said to be valued at about N400 billion, allegedly carted away during the raid.
“The Intersociety is further aware of widespread concerns over zero accountability associated with ownership, quantity, quality, whereabouts, and safe custody of the confiscated and carted away drugs (licit and illicit),” he stated.
“It was also strongly reported that there are little or zero verifiable records available to traders and their leaders regarding the shop locations from which such drugs were seized, confiscated, and carted away.
The purpose of such detailed and unbiased investigations under our strong demand is therefore to ensure probity and accountability, particularly on the status of all drugs, licit and illicit, seized, confiscated, and carted away from Onitsha Drug Market and others.
“All the above must be followed up with an international press conference by NAFDAC and leaders of its hired and drafted soldiers and other security agencies to give a graphic account of the ownership of such seized, confiscated, and carted away drugs (licit and illicit); the locations of their seizure and confiscation and the amount they are worth; the quantity and value of the multinational and globally approved drugs that were seized, confiscated, and carted away and the rationale behind their seizure and confiscation; the quantity and value of those registered by NAFDAC but confiscated and carted away; the quantity and value of those produced by Nigerian pharmaceutical companies but confiscated and carted away; the quantity and value of seized, confiscated, and carted away fake, adulterated, counterfeit, and expired drugs; and the quantity and value of others categorized as ‘contraband and illicit hard drugs,’ including Tramadol 225mg, Tramadol 200mg, Codeine, Cocaine, and allied substances.”
He stated that efforts should be made to ensure that all legitimately seized, confiscated, and carted away prohibited drugs do not corruptly find their way back into the markets.
