Return Seized Goods From Onitsha Drug Market – IPOB Tells NAFDAC

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has demanded that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) restore items taken from vendors at the Ogbo Ogwu Drug Market in Onitsha, Anambra State.

In a press release delivered by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, the organization claimed that NAFDAC personnel executed a late-night sweep of the market, obstructing CCTV cameras, forcing entry into stores, and seizing merchandise under the pretext of addressing counterfeit medications. IPOB condemned the tactics employed during the raid, casting doubt on the agency’s methods and openness.

While IPOB reiterated its opposition to the distribution of fake medications, it expressed unease about the alleged “seizure of traders’ goods in their absence, the blocking of surveillance cameras, and the lack of evidence proving that all confiscated products were counterfeit.”

The group directed a series of inquiries toward NAFDAC, such as: Why was the raid carried out at midnight? Why were CCTV cameras obstructed? Where is the proof that the seized medications were fraudulent? Why was the whole market shut down, impacting both honest and dishonest vendors?

IPOB encouraged NAFDAC to implement a more ethical and clear strategy for tackling counterfeit drugs, proposing that the agency set up permanent stations in drug markets to guarantee effective oversight instead of relying on unexpected raids.

In February, the agency performed a sweep of several prominent markets in Nigeria where numerous fake drugs were seized.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli