Anambra Government Urged To Organise Public Hearing, Commission of Inquiry Over Plundering of Onitsha Market
The Onitsha Drug Market, one of the largest and most bustling markets in Anambra State, has become a focal point of controversy and protest following a series of events involving the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Nigerian Army personnel, and the Nigerian Police Force. On March 26, 2025, a group of aggrieved traders, supported by the human rights organization International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), called on the Anambra State government to act swiftly in organizing a public hearing and judicial commission of inquiry into the events surrounding the market’s forced closure, looting, and the considerable losses traders have suffered.
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Traders from the market have been vocal in their accusations against NAFDAC, soldiers, and police officers, claiming that officials, under the guise of conducting a raid for counterfeit drugs, broke into shops, stole merchandise, and caused an irreparable loss. The traders have petitioned the Anambra State government to look into these actions, identify perpetrators, and hold them accountable. Intersociety’s report outlined the traders’ grievances and made several recommendations for how the state government can help resolve the matter.
According to the traders, a series of events unfolded in early February 2025 when NAFDAC, in collaboration with soldiers and police personnel, launched a raid on the Onitsha Drug Market to search for counterfeit and substandard drugs. However, traders allege that instead of carrying out a targeted operation against fake drugs, the officials broke into shops, took genuine goods, and ransacked the premises without any legal justification.
Traders claim that their shops were looted while they were absent, and billions of naira worth of goods, including legitimate pharmaceutical products, food items, and clothing, were carted away by the raiding party. The traders further allege that the actions of the officials involved in the raid were part of a systematic plundering of their businesses, and they demanded urgent action from the Anambra State government to hold those responsible accountable.
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The raid, which traders described as destructive, resulted in enormous economic losses for small business owners who rely on their market operations for daily livelihood. One of the most devastating claims involves the destruction and theft of property, as well as the imposition of harsh penalties on businesses, such as a blanket “Poor Storage Fee” of N500,000 for every sealed shop, including those not involved in the drug trade. According to Intersociety, this policy represents an example of “regulatory extortion,” exacerbating the challenges already faced by traders in the market.
The report issued by Intersociety on March 26, 2025, contains several recommendations aimed at addressing the injustices suffered by the traders. The human rights group has called on the Anambra State government, led by Governor Chukwuma Soludo, to convene an urgent public hearing and establish a judicial commission of inquiry to investigate the raid and the subsequent looting. This inquiry, they suggest, should examine five key issues:
1. hear the voices of genuine drug traders and ascertain losses incurred during the looting of their shops, 2. hear how their shops were broken into in their absence and billions of naira worth of genuine drugs confiscated and carted away, 3. unmask operational illegalities of NAFDAC and its deployed soldiers and police personnel, 4. prevent looming crisis and imminent loss of lives and properties in the Market, and 5. find short-term political solution through all-inclusive legislative public hearing to re-open the Market.
In the report, Intersociety also criticizes the recent actions of Anambra State’s leadership, including Governor Charles Soludo and Speaker of the State House of Assembly Somtochukwu Udeze. The human rights group argues that while both leaders made efforts to address the issue through executive and legislative resolutions—such as a February 22 visit and a legislative resolution on February 24—the actions taken so far have not been sufficient to resolve the crisis.
The group asserts that Soludo and Udeze must go beyond these initial responses and take tangible steps to protect the traders’ interests, including holding public hearings and establishing a commission of inquiry. They emphasized that the state government must uphold its duty to ensure the safety, fairness, and well-being of all its citizens, particularly in a matter as significant as the looting of a major market that serves as a livelihood for thousands of traders.
Intersociety demands a political and moral commitment from the leadership to protect the traders and to make sure that a lasting solution to the crisis is found. The group also urged the state government to intervene quickly to prevent further violence, including mass protests or other forms of unrest, which may arise if the traders’ concerns are ignored.
One of the most serious accusations made by Intersociety concerns the roles played by the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Police Force in the raid on Onitsha Drug Market. The report highlights the need for an investigation into the conduct of these law enforcement agencies and their officers who were deployed during the raid. The report requests that investigations be conducted into the financial activities of the officers involved, with a focus on examining their bank accounts and transaction records for any possible illegal gains.
Intersociety also demands the removal of Colonel Adamu Muhammad, the commandant of the Onitsha Army Cantonment, due to allegations that soldiers under his command participated in looting activities. According to the human rights group, there have been numerous reports of soldiers acting unprofessionally and contributing to the chaos at the market. The report suggests that Colonel Muhammad is unfit for his current position and should be removed from the South-East region immediately.
Intersociety has called for a full inquiry into the involvement of the military and police in the destruction of the market, with a particular focus on the soldiers and officers whose actions have been deemed to be grossly unprofessional and corrupt. The human rights group believes that a full investigation is necessary to restore public trust in these institutions and ensure that those responsible for the crimes are held accountable.
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The report also includes specific stories of victims whose businesses were destroyed in the raid. One notable case is that of Ms. Sophia Eberechukwu Okoye, a young entrepreneur who had recently opened a boutique in the market. According to the report, her shop was looted and emptied during the siege by NAFDAC, military, and police personnel. Okoye’s shop, which contained merchandise worth over 15 million naira, was ransacked, and the goods were taken by the officials. Video footage and CCTV evidence suggest that NAFDAC was directly linked to the looting, further validating the traders’ claims of misconduct by the officials involved in the raid.
Ms. Okoye’s story represents just one of many similar cases, highlighting the severe impact that the raid has had on the livelihoods of countless traders in the Onitsha Drug Market.
The ongoing crisis at the Onitsha Drug Market presents a significant challenge to the Anambra State government, as well as to the Nigerian authorities. Traders have lost billions of naira worth of goods, and the political and social tensions caused by the raid are mounting. The public hearing and judicial inquiry proposed by Intersociety are critical in addressing these issues, ensuring justice for the victims, and restoring the market to normal operations.
The Anambra State government must take swift action to investigate the claims of looting, hold those responsible accountable, and find a long-term solution that ensures a fair and secure trading environment for the people of Onitsha. With the support of human rights groups, concerned citizens, and the traders themselves, there is hope that the truth will emerge and justice will prevail. The future of Onitsha’s vibrant market economy depends on the government’s response to this grave situation.
