Four traders from Ogbo Ogwu Bridge Head Market in Onitsha, Anambra State, have taken legal action against the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), the NAFDAC Zonal Director for the South-East, Dr. Martins Iluyomade, and the Anambra State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
They filed the lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Awka, accusing the agencies of unlawfully interfering with their fundamental human rights.
The traders—Peter Okala, Alhaji Yunusa Tanko, Prof. Samuel Anidike, and C.C. Emereonwu—are all members of the United Nigeria Group.
Through their lawyer, Chibuike Nwabueze (Esq), they have asked the court for several reliefs, arguing that not all traders in the market are involved in the sale of counterfeit drugs, as alleged by the agency.
In suit No. PHC/AWK/CS/40/2025, they seek a court order preventing the defendants, their agents, and operatives from forcefully entering their shops at Ogbo Ogwu Bridge Head Market without a valid court order and search warrant. They also request an injunction to stop the confiscation of their goods and their removal to an unknown location.
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They also requested a perpetual injunction preventing the respondents, along with their officers, agents, operatives, and servants, from unlawfully entering their shops at the market without a valid court order. Additionally, they seek to stop the confiscation of their goods and their removal to an unknown location without proper legal authorization, including a court order and search warrant.
They also prayed to the court for N50 million against the respondents as exemplary damages and another N50 million as general damages against the respondents as a result of the actions of the respondents.
Before heading to the court, the group had called a press conference over “the sudden invasion and sealing of the market without prior notice” by NAFDAC, describing the action as barbaric and a denial of fundamental rights of the citizenry.
They stated that the traders have suffered losses exceeding N200 million due to the market’s closure for over 10 days, leaving them jobless and struggling to survive as a result of NAFDAC’s actions.
According to them, goods worth N500 billion were seized by NAFDAC, which allegedly raided the market with heavily armed military personnel, police, and other security operatives before sealing it off.
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