Some traders in the ancient city of Kano have appealed to National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Pharmacist Council of Nigeria (PCN), to reopen over 1,321 shops that were sealed for allegedly selling drugs in the State.
The Kano plaza, TRIBUNE ONLINE gathered, is a big mall habouring many shops, which include medicine stores, phone sellers, and other notable items.
In an effort to ensure that drug store owners who were the majority in the plaza did not gain entrance into the plaza, the only entrance gate into the premises was locked and keyed by the NAFDAC officials.
It be recalled that the drug shops were sealed and they were directed to relocate to Dangwauro Market, where the agencies believed they would be properly monitored and regulated.
The sealing of drug shops came in respect of recent court ruling of Justice Simon Amobeda of the Federal High Court in Kano which ordered all drug dealers to relocate to the Coordinated Wholesale Centre in Dangwauro along Zaria Road.
While speaking with the press on Wednesday, the leaders of the group, Aminu Zakari Kusa and Abdulhadi Manzo, disclosed that the plaza is not solely under the ownership of drug dealers, noting that, a complete closure of the plaza is unnecessary.
However, those traders said since they were not dealing in drugs, the agencies should reopen their shops at Karami Plaza in Kano, owing to the current economic challenges in the country.
According to them, the press briefing aimed to bring attention to the futile attempts made to reach NAFDAC and PCN officials earlier.
They disclosed that their families’ well-being is at stake and called upon all concerned parties to assist them.
The affected shop owners noted that significant portion of the shops within the plaza do not deal with drug-related items and urged the authorities to reopen their shops to continue their businesses.
The traders expressed that having their shops sealed without any legal infractions constitutes a violation of their fundamental rights to trade.
They affirmed their commitment to abiding by the law and refraining from taking matters into their own hands.
Commenting on the issue, the Kano’s NAFDAC Coordinator, Mr Kasim Ibrahim, disclosed that instructions had been given to reopen shops not involved in drug sales after verification.
He appreciated the traders for their patience and stated that the closure was in the public interest, following the Federal High Court’s ruling.