Nigerian authorities have intercepted sixteen containers of unauthorised pharmaceuticals at the Port Harcourt II Command in Onne, Rivers State, with an estimated value of over ₦20.5 billion.
The operation was carried out jointly by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and other national security agencies. It marks a notable development in inter-agency cooperation following the signing of a 2024 Memorandum of Understanding aimed at strengthening regulatory coordination.
At a press briefing announcing the seizure, Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, credited the interception to enhanced intelligence gathering and collaborative enforcement efforts among agencies. He stated that the operation demonstrates a broader commitment to securing Nigeria’s borders and aligns with national initiatives on public health and security.
Authorities reported that the illicit pharmaceutical products, which included codeine-based cough syrups and unauthorised pain medications, were concealed within shipments mislabelled as tomato paste, ceiling fans, and plumbing materials. Items recovered from the containers included large quantities of codeine syrup, tramadol, diclofenac tablets, and other unregistered or unauthorised medicines such as Trodol, Hyergra, Bisoveu, and Bassuka.
Adeniyi reaffirmed the Service’s zero-tolerance approach to pharmaceutical smuggling and warned that enforcement agencies would continue to pursue and prosecute those engaged in such activities. He noted that the intercepted containers had been officially handed over to NAFDAC for regulatory processing.
NAFDAC Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, condemned the attempted importation and described the shipment as a threat to public health. She stated that the seized products would be subjected to laboratory analysis and destroyed in accordance with regulatory protocols.
Adeyeye added that the agency would not allow Nigeria to become a destination for counterfeit or substandard medical products.
Comptroller Muhammed Babandede, head of the Onne Customs Command, described the operation as an outcome of effective coordination among multiple security and regulatory bodies, including the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
According to officials, the containers included eleven 40-foot units filled with unauthorised pharmaceuticals, as well as additional containers of bottled water and salt, believed to have been used to mask the contents.
This latest seizure follows a similar operation conducted at Apapa Port the previous week, where Customs impounded twenty-five containers of substandard medical devices.
Copyright Ships & Ports Ltd. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit given to www.shipsandports.com.ng as the source.