The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Port Harcourt Area I Command, has intercepted a consignment of expired pharmaceutical products valued at more than ₦59 million, preventing the shipment from entering the Nigerian market and averting what officials described as a potential public health crisis.
The seized drugs were formally handed over to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Wednesday at the Command Headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, during a ceremony attended by representatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Department of State Services (DSS), freight forwarding associations, other security agencies and industry stakeholders.
Speaking at the handover, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Salamatu Atuluku, said the seizure underscores the Nigeria Customs Service’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding the health and safety of Nigerians through intelligence-driven border enforcement.
She disclosed that the expired medicaments were intercepted during a joint cargo examination conducted by officers of the Command in collaboration with NAFDAC and other relevant agencies.
According to her, the consignment comprised several cartons of expired pharmaceutical products with a Combined Insurance and Freight (CIF) value exceeding ₦59 million.
Atuluku warned that allowing the products into circulation could have exposed unsuspecting consumers to severe health risks, including treatment failure, drug toxicity and antimicrobial resistance.
She reaffirmed the Service’s determination to prevent the importation of expired, substandard, falsified and prohibited products into the country.
The Customs Area Controller attributed the Command’s enforcement successes to the strategic leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, noting that his support for intelligence-led operations and enhanced inter-agency collaboration has strengthened efforts to secure Nigeria’s borders and protect public health.
Receiving the seized consignment on behalf of NAFDAC, the agency’s Deputy Director of the Port Inspection Directorate, Pharm. Adepoju Raufu, commended the Nigeria Customs Service for its vigilance and professionalism.
He assured that NAFDAC would immediately commence the necessary regulatory procedures for the safe disposal of the expired pharmaceutical products in accordance with established laws and guidelines.
Also speaking, NAFDAC’s South-South Zonal Director, Pharm. Chukwuma Oligbu, praised Comptroller Atuluku and officers of the Port Harcourt Area I Command for their commitment to public safety.
Oligbu described the handover as another demonstration of the strong partnership between NAFDAC and the Nigeria Customs Service, stressing the need for sustained collaboration to prevent unsafe pharmaceutical products from reaching Nigerian consumers.
