By Steve Agbota
The Nigeria Customs Service, Apapa Area Command, on Friday, handed over 25 seized containers laden with unregistered and prohibited products to officers of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The containers contained illicit drugs and expired food imported into Apapa Port and were all seized with a duty paid value of N9.2 billion.
Addressing journalists during the handover at Apapa command, the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, said that the seizures represent a sophisticated network of criminal enterprises that deliberately exploit regulatory gaps to compromise national health security.
“Today, we formally hand over to NAFDAC a total of 25 containers laden with counterfeit medications, unregistered pharmaceutical products, and prohibited substances, including codeine-based preparations that pose an imminent danger to public health,” he said. Giving a breakdown of the seizure, Adeniyi revealed disturbing patterns of under declaration and systematic attempts to circumvent established import protocols.
He also disclosed that out of the 25 containers, there were 21 40-foot containers and four 20-foot containers.
According to him, the containers were carrying predominantly unregistered pharmaceutical products, including sexual enhancement drugs such as Redsun and Hyegra sildenafil citrate products, codeine-containing cough syrups including CSC brands, antibiotic injections like Oxytetracycline and Artesunate, and various tablets bearing fake NAFDAC registration numbers.
“The seizures also include expired food products such as margarine and chocolate, veterinary medications including Albendazole bolus tablets, antimalarial drugs like Artepharm-artequick, and consumer goods such as Crusader soap, reflecting a sophisticated and diversified contraband portfolio that poses significant threats to public health, consumer safety, and regulatory integrity,” he said.
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