Police chased away all our Customers, Onitsha Drug Dealers cry out
By Obianuju Azukaego/Ogochukwu Mokwugwo
The Association of Bridge Head Drug Market in Onitsha, Anambra State, popularly known as Ogbogwu Market, has acussed the Police of chasing away their customers.
The Association cried out to Governor Charles Soludo, the Inspector General of Police and other relevant stakeholders to call Anambra State Police to order over what they described as unwholesome activities toward traders and their customers in the market.
The Chairman of the market, Mr. Chukwulota Ndubuisi, who said this during aa interview with newsmen in Onitsha, noted that Police in the state have forced over 70 per cent of their customers out of the state.
Mr. Ndubuisi said that their customers now patronize drug markets in Lagos and elsewhere, thereby hampering their ability to meet up with the standard of living.
"Today, the present administration in this market has flushed out fake and expired drugs from circulating within the market. Whenever we recover fake or expired drugs, we confiscate them, hand them over to NAFDAC or NDLEA alongside their owners for necessary disciplinary actions.
"At regular intervals, officials of NAFDAC from the Zonal Headquarters in Agulu would come into the market, either on intelligence report or to inspect the market. Whenever they get any fake or expired drugs, they will confiscate and destroy them, then, hand the owner over to NDLEA."
According to him, the latest development in our market is that whenever NAFDAC sees vehicles suspected to carry fake drugs, they will impound the vehicle, inspect the drugs, and release genuine ones.
"They will confiscate fake ones and destroy them, and when they arrest peddlers of such drugs, NAFDAC will hand them over to NDLEA for prosecution," Mr. Ndubuisi added.
The Chairman of the Association complained that Police in the State have continued to frustrate their traders and customers .
He, however, said that drug inspection, evaluation or administration are never the duties of the Police, adding that Police personnel usually force themselves to do them for reasons best known to them.
The Chairman also accused the Police of impounding goods belonging to traders in the market, as well as their customers, and make money out of them.
He complained that whenever police men see vehicles carrying their customers' drugs, they confiscate the vehicle, and keep them at their station without examinng the drugs to separate genuine ones, because, it is not their duty.
"Police always take over the work of NAFDAC and NDLEA in drug administration and control. Recently, UNTH ordered a truck load of drugs from our market, and on its way to the hospital, the vehicle carrying these drugs was impounded by Police personnel at the Zone 13 Headquarters in Ukpo, for reasons best known to them".
"For weeks, the vehicle and drugs were there. Our customers in Enugu could not get their drugs, and our traders could not get their money", Mr. Ndubuisi added.
He said that Police personnel in Anambra State have succeeded in frustrating and chasing away over 70 per cent of their customers across Nigeria.
He added, "Our major customers in Port-Haccourt and Warri have already diverted to Lagos. The same is applicable to our customers in other States",
Mr. Ndubuisi on behalf of the Drug Dealers called on the State Government led by Prof. Soludo to come to their rescue.
According to him, if appropriate measures were not taken in curbing Police excesses at Onitsha Drug Market, time shall come when the market would be a ghost of itself.
Our efforts to speak to the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Police in Anambra State proved abortive. (MOI)
The information officers report from Onitsha
RNI
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