The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has transferred custody of 11 containers loaded with illicit and unregistered pharmaceutical products to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) at Onne Port, Rivers State.
Valued at N20,545,999,200 in duty, the containers were intercepted by officers of the Customs Area II Command in partnership with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Department of State Services (DSS).
The seized cargoes contained hazardous pharmaceutical substances suspected to have been smuggled illegally into Nigeria.
During the official handover on Friday, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, described the operation as part of a reinvigorated inter-agency initiative to halt the influx of fake and unapproved drugs into the country. a joint task force had been established by Customs and NAFDAC to implement the 2024 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by both bodies.
“Just two weeks ago in Abuja, we commenced the implementation of the MoU between NCS and NAFDAC. This committee now serves as the driving force behind our joint actions to curtail the illegal importation of unregistered medical products,” Adeniyi said.
He noted that this marks the second major drug seizure within a fortnight, reaffirming the agency’s resolve to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s agenda of tightening border security, safeguarding public health, and bolstering national security.
On receiving the containers, NAFDAC’s Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, praised the move as a significant demonstration of inter-agency synergy aimed at protecting Nigerians from unsafe medical products.