The Nigeria Customs Service has transferred unregistered pharmaceutical products valued at N5.8m to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control for further investigation and regulatory action.
The drugs were intercepted by patrol officers of the Customs Sokoto/Zamfara Area Command along the Illela-Sokoto Road following intelligence reports.
The Acting Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller Haliru Abdullahi, disclosed this during the handover ceremony at the command headquarters in Sokoto on Wednesday.
Abdullahi said the seizure was part of the command’s efforts to prevent unregistered medicines from entering circulation and safeguard public health.
He identified the seized products as 360 packages of anti-cold drugs, 500 packages of amodiaquine, 140 packages of paracetamol and 100 packages of quinine.
According to him, the items have a total Duty Paid Value of N5,804,062.06.
The acting controller explained that the importation of unregistered pharmaceutical products contravened Section 55 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, as well as NAFDAC regulations.
He warned smugglers and dealers in prohibited pharmaceutical products to desist from the illegal trade, insisting that the command would not tolerate activities capable of putting citizens’ health at risk.
“Let me use this opportunity to warn smugglers and those who deal in such unwholesome products that the Sokoto/Zamfara Command, under my watch, will not tolerate any form of smuggling,” Abdullahi said.
He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to combating smuggling and protecting both public health and the nation’s economy.
Abdullahi also commended the officers responsible for the interception, attributing the success of the operation to their dedication and the availability of credible intelligence.
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He acknowledged NAFDAC’s partnership with the Customs Service, describing inter-agency cooperation as essential to curbing the distribution of unregistered and potentially harmful medicines.
Receiving the products on behalf of NAFDAC, the agency’s Sokoto State Coordinator, AbduSalam Lawal, praised Customs for its support in tackling the circulation of unwholesome pharmaceutical products.
Lawal said sustained collaboration between the two agencies was necessary to prevent unsafe and unregistered medicines from reaching consumers.
“On behalf of the Director-General of NAFDAC and the entire management of the agency, I want to express our sincere appreciation to the Nigerian Customs Service for the wonderful collaboration we’ve been enjoying,” he said.
He added that NAFDAC remained committed to strengthening its partnership with Customs and ensuring that seized pharmaceutical products underwent the appropriate regulatory processes.
Lawal further described the cooperation as a crucial step towards removing unwholesome products from the market and protecting Nigerians from potential health risks.
The handover underscores the continuing collaboration between the two agencies in tackling the illegal movement of pharmaceutical products and enforcing regulations governing medicines in the country.