The Eziukwu Road Market in Aba has been reopened by the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) after reaching an agreement with the market’s leadership.
NAFDAC officials from the Enugu regional headquarters took action on Monday by sealing the market and preventing access to shop owners and visitors. This was done in response to suspicions of widespread product adulteration and the use of shops within the market for the production of fake goods. The Eziukwu/Cementry Road market recently underwent a three-day raid conducted by officials from the agency.
The primary objective of this operation was to eradicate the presence of suspected counterfeit goods manufacturers within the market.
Also, the agency aimed to establish a mutual understanding with the market’s leadership to effectively monitor and control illicit activities related to the production of fake products. As a result of the raid, business operations within the market were significantly disrupted, leading to the closure of approximately 300 shops and business premises. Furthermore, the NAFDAC officials successfully apprehended 15 individuals involved in the manufacturing of counterfeit items.
A spokesperson for the traders’ association, Chukwuma Alutu, disclosed in a statement made available to journalists that one of the key provisions in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was an agreement allowing NAFDAC operatives to conduct future raids without prior notification to both the market’s leadership and its users.
