The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has destroyed 64 containers of illicit pharmaceuticals in Rivers State as part of efforts to combat the importation of illegal drugs.
The destruction, which took place at the RIWAMA dumpsite in Aluu, was overseen by the Assistant Comptroller General of Customs for Enforcement, Inspection, and Investigation, Timi Bomodi.
According to Bomodi, the seized containers, each measuring 40 feet, were valued at billions of Naira and had been shipped into Nigeria from various countries.
Bomodi revealed that the containers were confiscated over time through the coordinated efforts of the Nigeria Customs Service, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.
He emphasised that the illegal pharmaceuticals posed significant risks to public health and safety, as well as national security.
“We are destroying about 64 40ft containers with an estimated market value that runs into hundreds of billions of Naira. As it is today, we are executing it without fear or favour and sending a clear message to all those who are engaged in this kind of practice that they should desist not just because it affects the health and well-being of Nigerians,” he said.
“These containers have been arrested overtime by both officers of the Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies. We have NAFDAC, we have NDLEA, as you must know these agencies work together at the Port to ensure that there are no breaches to the security architecture of the country especially with regards to importations. So it is a joint exercise. The office of the National Security Adviser is coordinating this exercise to ensure that we do a thorough job with regards to evacuation, isolation and destruction.”
He warned those involved in the business of smuggling illicit pharmaceuticals to desist from the illegal act or face the full weight of the law when caught.
Representing the NSA, Commodore Kingsley Ogbonna reaffirmed the government’s dedication to eliminating fake and expired drugs from the market.
He noted that the NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, is strongly committed to clearing out illegal and substandard medications, as well as substances of abuse, from circulation.
“The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu is emphatic that these items must be destroyed whatever the cost. The goal is to ensure they are permanently destroyed and do not make their way back to the public. The multi-agency approach the NSA adopted is to show government approach towards curbing such illegal activities,” he stated.
This operation is part of a nationwide effort to combat the proliferation of counterfeit and unauthorised medications that pose serious health risks to the public.
