Eleven containers containing illegal and unregistered pharmaceutical products were turned up to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) at Onne Port, Rivers State, by the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS).
Officers from Customs Area II Command, working with the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), intercepted the containers, which were valued at N20,545,999,200 in duty.
The dangerous pharmaceutical materials found in the confiscated containers were allegedly unlawfully imported into Nigeria.
Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adeniyi explained the operation during the formal handover on Friday, saying it was a part of a renewed interagency effort to stop the importation of illegal and counterfeit medications.
He disclosed that in order to carry out the 2024 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that both Customs and NAFDAC had signed, a joint task force had been formed.
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The MoU between NCS and NAFDAC was put into effect in Abuja just two weeks ago. This committee is now the impetus behind our coordinated efforts to stop the unlawful importation of unlicensed pharmaceuticals,” Adeniyi stated.
“This is the second significant drug seizure in two weeks,” he said, reiterating the agency’s commitment to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s objective of strengthening national security, protecting public health, and tightening border security.
Upon receiving the containers, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General of NAFDAC, hailed the action as a noteworthy example of inter-agency collaboration to safeguard Nigerians from dangerous pharmaceuticals.
