Customs Area 1 Hands Over Seized Pharmaceuticals to NAFDAC

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By Bon Peters

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Port Harcourt Area I Command, on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, handed over a consignment of seized prohibited pharmaceutical products to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

A release by the command’s public relations officer, Assistant Superintendent Barilule Aanee, said the handover ceremony, which took place at the command’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, underscored strong inter-agency collaboration in safeguarding public health.

The event was attended by representatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Department of State Services (DSS), other security agencies, freight forwarding associations and members of the media.

The Customs Area Controller for Port Harcourt Area I, Comptroller Salamatu Atuluku, said the seizure demonstrated the command’s commitment to preventing harmful and prohibited pharmaceutical products from entering Nigerian markets.

She disclosed that the expired medicaments were intercepted during a joint examination conducted by officers of the command in collaboration with NAFDAC and other relevant agencies.

She added that the consignment contained several cartons of expired pharmaceutical products with a combined insurance and freight (CIF) value of over fifty-nine million naira.

Atuluku emphasized that the interception prevented what could have resulted in serious public health consequences, noting that expired medicines pose significant health risks, including treatment failure, drug toxicity and antimicrobial resistance.

She reaffirmed that “the Nigeria Customs Service will remain resolute in protecting the nation’s borders against the importation of expired, substandard, falsified and prohibited goods.”

Atuluku commended the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for his unwavering support, intelligence-driven enforcement initiatives and commitment to strengthening collaboration among government agencies.

Receiving the seized items, the deputy director, NAFDAC Port Inspection Directorate, Pharm. Adepoju Bayo Raufu, commended the Nigeria Customs Service for its vigilance and sustained partnership in protecting Nigerians from harmful pharmaceutical products.

He assured that the agency would immediately commence the necessary regulatory procedures to ensure the safe disposal of the expired medicaments in accordance with established laws and guidelines.

NAFDAC’s Zonal Director, South South, Pharm. Chukwuma Oligbu, described the handover as further testament to the excellent working relationship between his organisation and the Nigeria Customs Service.

He lauded Comptroller Atuluku and the officers of Port Harcourt Area I Customs Command for their professionalism, diligence and commitment to public safety, and called for continued collaboration among all security and regulatory agencies to combat the importation of unsafe pharmaceutical products into the country.

The handover ceremony concluded with the formal transfer of the intercepted expired medicaments and relevant documents from the Nigeria Customs Service to NAFDAC for further regulatory action.

Our correspondent said the event reinforced the shared commitment of both agencies to protecting public health, strengthening border security and ensuring that only safe, genuine and properly regulated pharmaceutical products are permitted into Nigeria.

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