Merchants denounce the closure of Ekumi Plaza in ABA by Nafdac

… appeal to Otti, Abibe, Ikwechegh to intervene

Beauty and Hair Accessories Traffickers, in Ekumi Plaza, in the Ariaria area of ​​ABA, the ABIA State Shopping Center, have appealed to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), to reopen The market to continue their legitimate businesses.

They argued that patent medicine merchants, which are the objective of the execution operation that led to the closure of Ekumi Plaza, occupy only 300 stores of 1,300 stores in the market.

NAFDAC, on February 10, 2025, began an execution operation in some selected drug markets throughout the country, including the Ekumi market, to eradicate false, prohibited products and other spurious regulated by NAFDAC of Circular in Nigeria.

However, the volume of prohibited and unregistered medications discovered in the market, led to its temporary closure, by NAFDAC, the day of the company met.

Chibuike Johnson Eze, president, association of beauty and hair accessories, Ekumi Plaza, while heading to the press on Saturday, on the matter, Governor Alex Otti, to intervene and ensure that the market is reopened for business.

According to him, this market has a total of 1,300 stores. The beauty and accessories for the hair, 1,000 stores, while the patent medicine dealers occupy only 300 stores in the market.

“However, due to the ongoing search for NAFDAC of false and defeated medicines in the market, the entire market has been closed for more than two weeks, depriving our source of livelihoods.

“I don’t understand why Nafdac will close the entire square, only for 300 people.

“You can see how we are groking on the street. We are no longer doing business, because we have been blocked from our stores. We have been at home for 2 weeks, without doing anything for a crime that we do not commit ourselves.

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“They said (Nafdac) looking for false drugs, but we don’t sell false drugs. We sell hair and beauty products. Ekumi is a mixed market, it is not specifically designed for patent medicine distributors.

“They moved here, due to the continuous remodeling of A-Line, Ariaria International Market, which was their original space,” he said

He appealed to NAFDAC officials to concentrate on their mission and allow other market segments that they are doing legitimate business continue their businesses.

“Therefore, we are asking Governor Alex Otti- Our ammiable governor who intervenes and ensures that this market is reopened, so that we can continue with our businesses,” Eze was pleased.

Victor Uchochukwu, a hair accessories dealership, appealed to Inyinaya Abibe, senator, which represents Abia South and Alex Ikwechegh, a member, which represents ABA North/Aba South in the House of Representatives to intervene and guarantee that the market is reopen for business.

Uchochukwu, who is still in shock in the way Nafdac closed the market, explained that they were not even informed about the operation.

He said: “We went home on Saturday after the business of the days, but when we returned on Tuesday, the soldiers did not allow us to enter the market and we have been bleached from the market since then.

He said that hair vendors are not against the current operations in the market, but attracted Nafdac to concentrate on the medicine line and allow other merchants in the market to continue their legitimate businesses.

“I can’t imagine why we will suffer for a crime that we don’t commit ourselves. We have families to take care of and if we don’t trade, how can we keep our families?

Amarachi Chukwu, a mother, who sells hair products in the market, explained that they are couples (husband and wife) in the market, who do not. Have any other means of livelihood.

“Initially we think that Nafdac operation will be for a few days, we never knew that it was going to last so long. It is no longer fun.

“Some of us are in the same market with our husbands and, therefore, I don’t know how they want us to feed our children, when our source of income has closed.

He called Governor Alex Otti, general director of Nafdac and Alex Ikwechegh, a member who represents ABA North/Aba South in the House of Representatives to come to his aid.