? Tasks Gov Soludo, demands immediate removal of NAFDAC's South-East Zonal Director, Dr Martins Iluyomade, and some senior team members

By UZOMA ODUIGWE, Editorial Consultant

The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has drawn the attention of Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State to the plight of traders at the Onitsha Drug Market, demanding the government's urgent intervention to end the traders' agony in the hands of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

The body also described the wrong regulatory approaches adopted by NAFDAC in going about its activities, as being "inconsistent, creating, more confusions, hardships and posing public health hazards."

As the market's closure enters its 90th day, Intersociety also called for the immediate removal of NAFDAC's South-East Zonal Director, Dr. Martins Iluyomade, and some senior members of his team.

In a letter to NAFDAC's DG and the Hon Minister of Health, dated Tuesday, April 29, 2025, duly served on the two by their lawyers on the said date, a copy of which was attached to their letter to Gov. Soludo, Intersociety also called on the state government to "publicly and strongly condemn the April 15, 2025 gruesome murder of Teacher Chioma Okeke of the Anglican Secondary School, Nnewi by the State's security outfit (Agunaechemba), tender public apology to her family, offset her funeral expenses, train her four kids to university level and take full responsibility for the activities of the Agunaechemba security outfit."

Going further, Intersociety in a statement signed by Board Chair, Emeka Umeagbalasi; Head, Democracy and Good Governance Program, Chinwe Umeche Esquire; and Head, Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, Obianuju Joy Igboeli Esquire, called on Gov. Soludo's government to "publicly disclose the whereabouts and full custodial details of the remaining 37 Traditional Worshippers and Medicine Practitioners arrested across the state and held untried for more than 90 days now, or from Jan 28, 2025 till date."

According to them in their letters to the DG of NAFDAC and the Hon Minister of Health "we have raised and highlighted 19-Point findings arising from NAFDAC's poorly planned and executed operations at the Onitsha Drug Market, particularly between Feb 9 and March 7, 2025, and the goings on till date."

They lamented that "operations at Onitsha Drug Market have descended from bad to worse," and made sweeping demands including total re-evaluation and reversal by NAFDAC of all harsh and stringent conditions imposed on the affected traders of the Market.

A strong call was also made for the discontinuation of imposition and collection of unwarranted and extortionist levies, such as "N700,000 Poor Storage Fee" per market store, ?N200,000 Poor Storage Fee? per market packing store," ?N200,000 Penalty Fee? for every brand of ?the imported, unregistered? multinational drugs, among others; as well as total cancellation and discontinuation of forceful signing of NAFDAC-issued incriminating undertakings for every trader."

The traders also demanded that those already forced to pay the extortionist fees be refunded and the public account of how much already collected and their whereabouts rendered by NAFDAC."

In concluding, they lamented: "sadly, despite wide outcries and publicity the State Government under Gov Charles Chukwuma Soludo has kept mute till date."