Onitsha Trader Sues NAFDAC, Demands N15 Million Over Alleged Shop Invasion

A trader at the popular Ogbo-Ogwu Bridgehead Market in Onitsha, Anambra State, Sophie Okoye, has dragged the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and its Director-General before the Federal High Court in Awka, alleging unlawful invasion and looting of her shop.

Okoye, a dealer in clothing, watches, and fashion accessories, said her shop—completely unrelated to food, drugs, or chemicals—was wrongfully raided during an enforcement operation reportedly carried out by a joint task force under NAFDAC’s authority. She is demanding compensation of N15,746,000, the total value of items allegedly carted away during the raid.

According to court documents obtained on Friday, the suit—filed under Suit No. FHC/AWK/CS/162/25—came after the expiration of the statutory period stated in a pre-action notice served to NAFDAC. In her claims, Okoye asserts that the agency acted unlawfully and unconstitutionally, describing the seizure of her goods as oppressive and outside the agency’s legal mandate.

The suit seeks a court declaration that NAFDAC and its DG had no authority to invade and seize goods unrelated to their regulatory scope. The plaintiff is also asking the court to compel the agency to pay the full monetary value of the goods allegedly taken from her store.

Speaking on the matter, Okoye’s legal counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, said the lawsuit was filed in line with legal procedures after NAFDAC failed to respond within the required time frame. Ejiofor condemned the incident as a blatant case of institutional overreach and called for an independent investigation into the operation.

He criticised what he described as the agency’s disregard for legal boundaries, noting that the raid has attracted national outrage, especially after widely circulated footage showed Okoye visibly distressed as her shop was emptied. He urged both the Federal Government and the Anambra State Government to set up an independent panel to probe the incident and bring those responsible to justice.

Ejiofor emphasized that while NAFDAC’s fight against counterfeit drugs is important, it must not come at the expense of innocent traders. He declared his client’s resolve to pursue justice to the end, stressing that no one should be above the law.