By Eche Nwaobasi –Onitsha.
Mr. Ndubuisi Chukwuleta the Chairman Onitsha drugs market popularly known as Ogbogwu situated inside Head Bridge market Onitsha, Anambra state, has called Nigerians to disregard a recent video which trended in social media showing a massive protest against him and his executive over their style of leadership in the market. He noted that the said video was sponsored by fake drug dealers in the market who are not happy that the market is no longer conducive for them to continue their nefarious activities. He continued, “they want to create confusion to create a lacuna for them to smuggle fake, illicit and unwholesome drugs inside the market.”
He disclosed this while refuting the video during a press briefing organized by the market executive to correct the negative impression the said video has created on minds of some Nigerians with their office in Onitsha drugs market yesterday. Mr. Chukwuleta narrated that contrary to what the video want to achieved that there was no protest, but what happened was that he and other members of his executives were on a routine check to fish out fake and unwholesome drugs inside the market in line with NAFDAC directive. He said he was stopped by one alleged suspected fake drugs dealer, Mr. Chibueze Ifejiofo, aka Chibueze Adamu, who in a trending video circulating inside the market was banned from trading inside the market in 2007 by the then authorities of NAFDAC.
He stated that there was no incident to warrant protest as depicted in the video but what happened was when he sensed danger and a setup, he instructed his men to leave the area but that he was surprised to notice the said man shouting beckoning his supporters to come out and challenge them and in the process his supporters brought out phones to start videoing and shouting that the “market don’t want him, the Chairman” and he, subsequently, sent the video to the social media.
The chairman noted that genuine traders of the market who understand the antics of these wicked fake drug dealers did not protest as shown by the video. He fingered four individuals namely, Mr. Chibueze Ifejiofor aka Chibueze Adamu, Mr Sunday Ezeigwe, aka Sunday Akpuobi, Emma Ozoemena, Emeka Elom aka Onyebuchi Bliss, as the arrow heads of these spurious and wicked propaganda. He stated that these people has been using all manners of dirty tactics including opening up spurious online WhatsApp forums to spread falsehood to damage the image of executives of the market especially that of himself, the Chairman. He added that they are currently spreading a falsehood that he the chairman is being paid the sum of ₦300,000 from each store by NAFDAC, following the last clamp down of the market by NAFDAC. They alleged also that NAFDAC has paid him a total sum of ₦200 million.
He explained further, that all these are wicked lies concocted by these people to tarnish his image so that government who appointed us will clamp down on us for an opportunity to be created for these fake and hard drug dealers to bring in their nefarious business inside the market again.
He said, “all these trouble are being sponsored by fake drug dealers, who want to create confusion to create an opportunity for Anambra state government to remove us. Some of them had one time or the other swore to us that they must bring us down, but most times I have reported their activities to relevant security agencies and Anambra state government. ”
Adding their voices, Chief Uchenna Uba, Mr. Olisa Eke Kenneth, Aniagor Kenechukwu, members of the executive, have all confirmed that there is absolute peace in the market. They argued that the video is a sponsored attack carried by suspected fake drug dealers, who are afraid that their business will come to an end when apprehended.
Our reporters made several efforts to contact these four people, who were mentioned for them to react to the executive’s allegations, but they did not bear fruit.