Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi (middle), flanked Director-General of NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye and Customs Area Controller, Port Harcourt II Area Command, Onne, Comptroller Mohammad Babandede at Onne Port on Friday.
By Margaret Munsi
THE Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has seized illicit drugs and expired products worth over N20 billion at Port Harcourt II Area Command, Onne, Rivers State.
The containers, 11 in number,
containing illicit and unregistered pharmaceutical products, including harmful drugs, had aggregate duty value of N20,545,999,200.
Handing over the seized containers to National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), at Onne Port on Friday, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, said a joint committee of the two agencies was set up to superintend and manage a joint action against illegal importation of unregistered and substandard products into the country.
Adeniyi said: “Two weeks ago in Abuja, the Nigerian Customs Service and the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) took one major step to begin the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding that had been consummated between the two agencies far back 2024.
“This committee was set up to serve as a major arrowhead to superintend and manage a joint action against illegal importation of unregistered products into the country.
“I am happy that two weeks into this, this is the second time that we are coming out to jointly inspect and hand over goods that have offended various laws especially goods that are not registered and are fake products and in accordance with the provisions of the Customs Act and our mandate of public accountability trust and stakeholder management.”
He reaffirmed the NCS commitment to the Bola Tinubu security and transformation agenda through enhanced border management, intelligence collaboration and sustained anti-smuggling operations.
“We want to assure members of the public that we will continue to maintain steadfast commitment to President Bola Tinubu’s policy objective of securing our borders, protecting public health and safeguarding national security.”
Receiving the intercepted containers, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, said the handover of the illicit and unregistered pharmaceutical products was a strong demonstration of the partnership between the two agencies to safeguard public health and uphold the highest standards of consumer protection.
Adeyeye said: “Today’s handover ceremony represents not just an act of administrative duty but a strong demonstration of the partnership between Nigerian Customs Service and NAFDAC to safeguard public health and uphold the highest standards of consumer protection.
“A few days ago, the Comptroller-General of Customs was at our head office in Abuja in his drive to explore better ways of collaboration in the fight against the importation of fake and substandard and falsified NAFDAC-regulated products.
“Just last week, we were there at Apapa Port to receive for destruction, 25 containers of unwholesome medical devices.”
In his welcome address Comptroller of Nigerian Customs, Port Harcourt II Area Command, Onne, Mohammed Babandede, said the containers were intercepted in collaboration with other security agencies, including the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Department of State Services (DSS).
Babandede disclosed that the Command was able to achieve that feat due to the robust collaboration as established by the current Comptroller-General of Customs.