The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has taken possession of a significant consignment of smuggled, unregistered, and illicit pharmaceutical products intercepted by the Nigeria Customs Service.
In an official statement released on its social media platforms, NAFDAC confirmed that its Director of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, Pharm. Shaba Mohammed, received the seized goods from the NCS Federal Operations Unit “A”.
The agency stated: “In a continued show of inter-agency collaboration, the Director, Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, Pharm. Shaba Mohammed received a consignment of smuggled, unregistered, and illicit pharmaceutical products from the Nigeria Customs Service (Federal Operations Unit ‘A’).”
Among the confiscated items were banned Tramadol 250mg tablets in unauthorized pack sizes, which had been illegally smuggled into the country.
NAFDAC reported: “The banned Tramadol 250mg in unapproved pack sizes, which had been smuggled into the country by criminal traffickers, was handed over to NAFDAC alongside the suspect for further investigation. The seizure is valued at ₦24.6 million.”
NAFDAC praised the Customs Service for its vigilance: “NAFDAC commends the Nigeria Customs Service for its continued efforts in safeguarding public health and supporting the Agency’s mandate to eliminate substandard and falsified medicines from circulation.”
This seizure comes amid NAFDAC’s intensified crackdown on illicit pharmaceutical products across Nigeria. The agency recently made headlines for busting a warehouse containing banned food additives in Suleja, alerting the public about counterfeit malaria drugs, and clarifying the reopening conditions for the Onitsha medicine market.
Authorities have emphasized that the interception and handover demonstrate effective inter-agency cooperation in combating the circulation of dangerous and unauthorized medications.
