Bellnews learnt that the soldiers, who are from the Onitsha 302 Artillery Regiment and General Support Service, have taken over the markets and locked down every shop under the guise of clamping down on drugs dealers.
Personnel of the Nigerian Army have been accused of shutting down six major markets in Onitsha, Anambra State, for two weeks, bringing hardship to traders who are disgruntled as they continue to incur losses.
Bellnews learnt that the soldiers, who are from the Onitsha 302 Artillery Regiment and General Support Service, have taken over the markets and locked down every shop under the guise of clamping down on drugs dealers.
Bellnews gathered that the affected markets are; Onitsha Drug market, Oduwani (Power Tools and Allied) market, Surgical Line market, Plumbing Materials market, the Ogbogwu Fashion Line market, the Bridgehead Provision market and part of the Timber Dealers market.
It was learnt that while the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) contacted the military personnel for its recent operation against drugs dealers, the soldiers have refused to reopen the markets and allow lawful businesses to resume, to the anger and depression of thousands of traders.
According to a report also by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) on Tuesday, the human rights organisation said it strongly condemned the militarised approach adopted in the raid on drugs dealers.
Intersociety also called on NAFDAC to prevail on the army personnel to leave the six markets as the officers have continued to engage in “unprofessional and corrupt practices.”
“The Intersociety is calling for immediate reopening of the affected markets and refunding of not less than N20billion being loses incurred by the innocent traders of the six affected markets since Sunday, February 9, 2025, particularly traders of the Onitsha Drug Market.
“We at the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) hereby strongly condemn the total shutdown and militarization since Sunday, February 9, 2025, of the Onitsha Drug Market, the largest open drug market in Nigeria; shutdown and militarised alongside those of Idumota in Lagos and Ariaria in Aba, Abia State.
“The NAFDAC-hired soldiers of the Nigerian Army under the coordination of Commandant of the Onitsha 302 Artillery Regiment and General Support Service, Col Adamu K Muhammad, had on the said date invaded the crowded market and five adjoining others; namely: Oduwani part of the Carpentry Tools (Power Tools and Allied) Market, the Surgical Line Market, the Plumbing Materials Market, the Ogbogwu Fashion Line Market, the Bridgehead Provision Market and part of the Timber Dealers Market.
“The above-named markets were shut down and taken over by soldiers of the Nigerian Army and their NAFDAC hirers-during which the NAFDAC field officials and leaders of the hired soldiers forced leaders of the affected markets to surrender the keys of their gates and lines and took possession of them till date.
“Since then, it is not only that traders of the affected Onitsha Drug Market have incurred billions of naira loses amounting to not less than N20billion, but have also been starved, threatened and forced out of their legitimate businesses.
“The worst of it all is that traders and leaders of the five unaffected markets have permanently been shut out and denied access to their shops and legitimate livelihoods.”
The organisation added, “While we are not against sanitisation exercise by NAFDAC geared towards ridding the country of fake and adulterated drugs and stamping out their dealers and manufacturers, we strongly condemn the militarist approach adopted.
“The NAFDAC and its hired soldiers of the Nigerian Army are also insensitive to the plight of over 95% of traders in the Onitsha Drug Market and 100% of traders of the other five adjoining markets unlawfully and militarily shut down and forced out of their legitimate businesses since Sunday, February 9, 2025.
“Instead of using credible intelligence through inter-agency intelligence gathering and sharing that should have identified and profiled the illicit drug kingpins for easy tracking and apprehension using digital and allied manual processes including their identities, locations and places of abode, the Nigerian Army and their high command have chosen to resort to punishment and persecution of innocent traders.”
In the report signed by Emeka Umeagbalasi, Intersociety Board Chairman, the organisation further said, “We hereby call on the authorities of NAFDAC and their hired officers and personnel and high command of the Nigerian Army to as a matter of uttermost immediacy reopen the militarily, corruptly and unlawfully shutdown Onitsha Drug Market and those located in Idumota in Lagos State and Ariaria in Aba, Abia State.
“NAFDAC must refrain from encouraging corruption and unprofessionalism in the Nigerian military and stop using them to militarize the Agency’s civil and law enforcement operations. Traders of the Onitsha Drug Market and those in Lagos and Abia must steer clear of fake and adulterated drugs or trading on illicit hard drugs such as codeine, cocaine, contraband tramadol and allied others.
“The Executive Governor of Anambra State, Prof Charles Soludo, is hereby called upon to wade into the matter and facilitate speedy reopening of the Onitsha Drug Market and five adjoining others. NAFDAC is further advised to go after fake and illicit drug kingpins responsible and leave innocent others alone who constitute over 95% of the entire Market’s traders.
“Breaking market stores belonging to traders of the Market in their absence and confiscating their goods, whether done in the hours of the blue law or in broad day light, is a serious misconduct and an unlawful act capable of attracting a flurry of lawsuits against the NAFDAC and its hired officers and personnel and high command of the Nigerian Army.”