NAFDAC Receives N20.5bn Worth of Fake Medicines From Customs in Rivers

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) at Onne Port, Rivers State, has taken custody of eleven containers containing illegal and unregistered pharmaceutical products from the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS).

In collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), officials from the Customs Area II Command seized the containers, which were valued at N20,545,999,200 in duty.

Hazardous pharmaceuticals that were allegedly unlawfully smuggled into Nigeria were found in the seized containers.

The operation is part of a renewed inter-agency effort to stop the flow of illegal and counterfeit narcotics into the nation, according to Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adeniyi, who made the announcement during the ceremonial handover on Friday.

According to him, Customs and NAFDAC have formed a combined task force to carry out the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that was signed by both organizations in 2024.

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In Abuja, we started putting the Memorandum of Understanding between NCS and NAFDAC into effect just two weeks ago. We are now working together to reduce the unlawful importation of unregistered medical products, and our group is the driving force behind that effort,” she stated.

Declaring that this is the second significant drug seizure in as many days, he reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s policies of strengthening national security, protecting public health, and tightening border security.

NAFDAC’s Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, hailed the action as a noteworthy example of inter-agency cooperation aimed at safeguarding Nigerians from dangerous pharmaceuticals after receiving the containers.