Governor Charles Soludo has countered Peter Obi’s objections to the sweeping closure of parts of the Head Bridge Market in Onitsha by NAFDAC. The agency, in its crackdown against counterfeit drugs, not only shut down the drug section at Ogbo Ogwu but also closed adjoining sections, including those selling rod, allied and tools, plumbing materials, provisions, and timber.
In his statement on Saturday, Soludo explained that market leaders in the plumbing materials section confirmed that regulators had indeed discovered cartons of counterfeit and controlled drugs in their shops—drugs banned both globally and locally. “Right inside these shops were found cartons of counterfeit and controlled drugs, many of which had been banned globally. How these drugs are still being manufactured in India, pass through our ports, and find their way to our local markets remains a question only the relevant authorities can answer,” he said.
Peter Obi, however, criticized the broad closure, arguing that shutting down all the neighboring market sections is excessive and unjustified. “Shutting down other neighboring markets not involved, such as rod, allied and tools, plumbing materials, timber, surgical, and provision markets, seems excessive and unjustified. I therefore appeal for their immediate reopening, as their continued closure is severely affecting the livelihoods of millions,” Obi stated on February 17, 2025.
Soludo dismissed the narrative pushed by “a few political actors,” emphasizing that NAFDAC’s actions were necessary to enforce standards and crack down on the sale of fake, counterfeit, and controlled drugs. He further called on the Federal Government to tighten the supply chain and expedite the ongoing search in the market, aiming to enable traders in the plumbing materials section to resume legitimate commerce as soon as possible.
