Eleven containers containing illegal and unregistered pharmaceutical products have been turned over from the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) at Onne Port, Rivers State.
The containers, which were valued at N20,545,999,200 in duty, were seized by Customs Area II Command officers working with the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Hazardous pharmaceutical materials believed to have been illegally smuggled into Nigeria were found in the seized containers.
Bashir Adeniyi, the Comptroller-General of Customs, explained the operation during the formal transfer on Friday as a component of a reenergized interagency effort to stop the flow of illegal and counterfeit medications into the nation.
Read Also: N39bn Tinubu ICC Renovation Is Nothing but a Scam – Deji Adeyanju
He disclosed that Customs and NAFDAC have formed a collaborative task force to carry out the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that both organizations had signed in 2024.
“We started implementing the Memorandum of Understanding between NCS and NAFDAC in Abuja just two weeks ago. Our coordinated efforts to reduce the unlawful importation of unregistered medicinal products are now led by this committee,” Adeniyi stated.
He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s goal of strengthening national security, protecting public health, and tightening border security, noting that this is the second significant narcotics seizure in as many weeks.
Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General of NAFDAC, hailed the action upon receiving the containers as a noteworthy example of inter-agency cooperation aimed at safeguarding Nigerians from dangerous pharmaceuticals.
