ONITSHA, Anambra — A female trader, Ms. Sophie Eberechukwu Okoye, has filed a lawsuit against the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) at the Federal High Court in Awka, alleging that her shop at Ogbo-Ogwu Bridgehead Market in Onitsha was unlawfully raided and looted by operatives acting under NAFDAC’s authority.
Her legal representative, Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, confirmed that the legal action followed the expiration of the pre-action notice period required before suing a federal agency. “In every just and democratic society, the rule of law is sacrosanct,” Ejiofor said, insisting that NAFDAC overstepped its legal bounds.
Viral video footage showed a distressed Ms. Okoye weeping after discovering that her shop—selling clothing, watches, and accessories—had been forcibly entered and allegedly ransacked. According to her lawyers, she has no ties to the pharmaceutical trade, making her inclusion in the operation both unlawful and unjustifiable.
Ejiofor described the enforcement operation as “institutional overreach” and “orchestrated pillage,” calling it a gross abuse of regulatory power. “What occurred was not enforcement—it was outright lawlessness,” he stated. The lawsuit seeks full accountability and redress for Ms. Okoye, but her counsel stressed that the incident reflects a broader pattern of alleged misconduct and impunity by enforcement bodies. They are now calling on both the Federal Government and the Anambra State Government to establish an independent investigative panel to audit the operation and hold those responsible to account.
“We support NAFDAC’s mission to eliminate fake drugs, but no noble goal justifies the violation of innocent citizens’ rights,” Ejiofor said. “Justice must not be collateral damage in the fight against crime.”He concluded with a warning: “Today it is Sophie. Tomorrow, it could be you. We must uphold the rule of law and resist tyranny in all its forms.”
