ANAMBRA State Governor Charles Soludo has expressed shock over how illicit drugs get into Nigerian markets through the nation’s borders under the watch of security officials.
Soludo stated this when he visited the Ọgbọ Ogwụ Market in the Onitsha area of the state on Saturday, February 21.
His visit followed the recent impoundment of fake drugs and closure of some markets suspected to harbour fake and banned drugs by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)
The NAFDAC had shut down over 11,000 drug shops in Aba (Abia State), Onitsha (Anambra State), and Idumota (Lagos State, seized 77 truckloads of counterfeit drugs, and arrested 40 suspects.
Soludo said tackling counterfeit drugs should start at the country’s entry points, where the harmful products are smuggled into the nation, in addition to local regulatory efforts.
Among the markets reportedly shut in Onitsha by NAFDAC are Ogo Ogwu, Plumbing Materials, Rod, Allied and Tools markets.
The government said, “I visited the Ọgbọ Ogwụ and adjoining markets today in Onitsha. As the biggest open drug market in Africa, it is not surprising that federal agencies and regulatory bodies would, from time to time, visit the market to enforce standards and check the sale of fake, counterfeit, and controlled drugs.
“With drugs and related matters strictly under the Exclusive List, my visit today was interventionist. First, I sought to ascertain why other markets close to the drug market in Onitsha were closed.
“Away from the media sensation created by a few political actors, the leadership of the Plumbing Materials Market, which was shut down alongside the drug market, confirmed to me that the discoveries made by regulators in some shops were shocking and disturbing.”
The governor added that several shops were found storing cartons of counterfeit drugs, many of which were banned both locally and internationally. He questioned how these drugs, produced in India, manage to pass through the country’s sea and air ports and end up in local markets.
He appealed to the Federal Government to intensify efforts to crack down on the supply chain of these harmful drugs, stressing the need to tighten controls at the source. He also suggested that the market inspections be done on time to allow traders at the Plumbing Materials Market to reopen and resume legitimate business within 10 days.
Highlighting his efforts to address the issue, he listed the construction of a wholesale drug centre in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area of the state, which will be the major drug hub in the state.
“This is our contribution to ending the current chaotic market environment where fake and counterfeit drugs thrive,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Soludo’s position contrasts with his predecessor and the Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi.
Obi had, in a statement on X on Monday, February 17, voiced his dissatisfaction with the closure of other markets neighbouring the Ọgbọ Ogwụ Market.
Obi had called on regulatory and security agencies to reconsider the closure of markets surrounding the Head Bridge Market in Onitsha, after the crackdown on illegal drug activities within the area.
While the former governor condemned the sale of counterfeit drugs and supported the prosecution of those responsible, he raised concerns about the collateral damage caused by the blanket closure of nearby markets, which he said were not involved in the illegal sale of drugs.
“Shutting down neighbouring markets like Rod, Allied and Tools, Plumbing Materials, Timber, Surgical, and Provision Markets, which have no connection to the illicit drug trade, is excessive and unjustified.
The continued closure is severely affecting the livelihoods of millions, especially during this difficult period in our country,” he said.
Obi recalled how his administration addressed similar public health threats when he led the state.
He questioning the rationale behind the extended market closures, asking, “If the goal is to conduct a legitimate search, why extend the closure to other markets? What are their offences?”
Fatimah Quadri is a Journalist and a Fact-checker at The ICIR. She has written news articles, fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy in an effort to combat information disorder.
She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or fquadri@icirnigeria.org