The Nigeria Customs Service has handed over 25 containers of seized pharmaceutical products worth N9.2 billion to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The seized products include unregistered medications, counterfeit drugs and codeine-based preparations that pose a significant threat to public health.
Seized Products
Unregistered Pharmaceuticals: The containers held various unregistered pharmaceutical products, including sexual enhancement drugs like REDSUN and HYEGRA sildenafil citrate products, codeine-containing cough syrups and antibiotic injections.
Expired Food Products: Expired food items such as margarine and chocolate were also among the seized products.
Fake NAFDAC Registration Numbers: Some of the products had fake NAFDAC registration numbers, indicating a systematic attempt to circumvent import protocols.
Collaboration Between Customs and NAFDAC:
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, highlighted the importance of inter-agency collaboration between Customs and NAFDAC in tackling the menace of illicit pharmaceutical products.
He commended the Director-General of NAFDAC for providing critical intelligence that aided the seizures.
Adeniyi warned stakeholders within the international trade environment that the Nigeria Customs Service would maintain an uncompromising stance on regulatory compliance.
He emphasized that haulage operators, bonded terminal owners or any other trade facilitators found complicit in these illegal activities would face the full weight of the law.
The handover ceremony symbolizes the shared commitment of Customs and NAFDAC to protecting the health and security of Nigeria.
Through continued inter-agency collaboration, intelligence sharing and strategic enforcement, the agencies aim to ensure that Nigeria’s borders remain secure against those who would compromise national health security for criminal gain.
