Customs Hands Over ₦3.7bn Expired Drugs to NAFDAC in Lagos
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone A, Ikeja, has officially handed over three trucks loaded with expired pharmaceutical products valued at ₦3.7bn to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The handover ceremony took place on Tuesday at the FOU Zone A headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos. The Customs Area Controller, Mohammed Shuaibu, presented the seized items to NAFDAC’s new Director of Enforcement and Investigation, Dr. Martin Iluyomade, during his courtesy visit to the command.
According to a statement by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Hussaini Abdullahi, the seized consignments consisted of various brands of expired drugs, including items packed in sacks and cartons. Some of the pharmaceuticals listed were Hyergra, Royal Tablets 225, CSC Codine Syrup, Really Extral, Tramadol, Amlodipine, Milk Oil Flavour, and Firegra. The duty-paid value of the expired products was placed at ₦3.7bn.
Shuaibu explained that the seizures and handover were part of efforts to implement the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Customs Service and NAFDAC to combat counterfeit and unsafe drugs in Nigeria.
“What we are witnessing today is a direct follow-up to the MoU. It highlights the need for continuous collaboration between regulatory and security agencies to prevent the smuggling and circulation of harmful consignments in Nigeria,” he said.
He warned that expired drugs pose severe health risks if allowed to circulate in the market, stressing that the Customs Service remains fully committed to safeguarding the health and safety of Nigerians. Shuaibu also noted that this exercise would not be a one-off, as more consignments of expired or counterfeit drugs would be transferred to NAFDAC after ongoing investigations are concluded.
On his part, Dr. Iluyomade praised the Customs Service for its dedication and cooperation, describing the handover as an important step in protecting Nigerians from unsafe medicines. He assured that NAFDAC would intensify its fight against the smuggling and distribution of counterfeit and fake pharmaceuticals across the country.
The move has been widely commended as a positive step in strengthening Nigeria’s regulatory framework against expired and fake drugs, reinforcing the importance of inter-agency collaboration in protecting public health.
