A female trader at the Ogbo-Ogwu Bridgehead Market in Onitsha, Anambra State, Mrs. Eberechukwu Okoye, has demanded N22 million as compensation from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control( NAFDAC,) for alleged looting of her shop during a recent enforcement exercise.
In a pre-action notice issued through her lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, a human rights attorney, Okoye accused NAFDAC officials and security operatives of vandalising her shop and carting away goods unrelated to drugs, including clothing, shoes, and fashion accessories.
According to the letter made available to journalists in Awka on Monday, the incident occurred during a two-month enforcement operation by NAFDAC targeting unregistered and counterfeit drugs in the Onitsha drug market.
Okoye, whose shop is located at Shop 1, Ibese Line, Ogbo-Ogwu Bridgehead Market, insisted that she is not a drug trader and that the looted items had no connection to the enforcement mission.
“It is clear from the attached lists of the missing goods and purchasing receipts which clearly identified the goods carted away as mainly wears, shoes, belts and clothes, even when her goods have no affiliation, semblance or connection with drugs,” the notice stated.
She alleged that the security operatives deployed to support the enforcement team were instead allowed “free hands” to loot shops within and around the market.
“Further emerged facts as clearly captured in a video clip taken by her, clearly established that her shop was vandalised and carefully looted as no scintilla of evidence was available to suggest the discovery of incriminating substance or drugs in her shop, neither was she invited before her shop was burgled,” the notice read.
Okoye’s counsel described the incident as “mindboggling criminality” and lamented its impact on the trader’s livelihood amid Nigeria’s worsening economic conditions.
“It is heartbreaking to note that this mindboggling criminality happened during this period of crushing economic downturn, which has ostensibly placed her in a very difficult economic situation,” Ejiofor stated.
He further questioned the legality of the operatives’ actions, stating “We are not aware of any statutory provision or extant law(s) that empowered security operatives to break into citizen’s shop and steal therefrom.”
Ejiofor warned that if the compensation demand is not met within one month, legal action will be taken against the agency at the Federal High Court in Awka.
“Take notice therefore that if at the expiration of one month from the date of receipt of this letter and our foregoing demand is not met, we shall not hesitate to explore the appropriate legal remedy available to her in the prevailing circumstance,” the notice warned.
He added that all necessary arrangements had been concluded to file the suit if there is no favourable response.
“May we also emphasize that this correspondence shall equally serve as a pre-action notice to NAFDAC,” Ejiofor noted.
As of the time of filing this report, NAFDAC has yet to respond to the allegations.
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