Four traders from Ogbo Ogwu Bridge Head Market in Onitsha, Anambra State, have filed a lawsuit against the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and other officials over the alleged unlawful closure of their market. The traders—Peter Okala, Alhaji Yunusa Tanko, Prof. Samuel Anidike, and C.C. Emereonwu—claim their fundamental human rights have been violated.
Through their lawyer, Chibuike Nwabueze, the traders are seeking court orders to prevent further unauthorized entries into their shops and the confiscation of their goods. They argue that not all traders in the market deal in counterfeit drugs, as claimed by NAFDAC.
In their suit, they are requesting a total of N100 million in damages, citing significant financial losses due to the market’s closure, which has lasted over ten days. They allege that NAFDAC, accompanied by military and police, sealed the market without prior notice and took away goods valued at approximately N500 billion.
Before taking legal action, the traders held a press conference denouncing NAFDAC’s actions as barbaric and a violation of their rights, emphasizing the economic impact of the closure on their livelihoods.
