The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Port Harcourt Area I Command, has intercepted more than 4,000 units of improperly declared pharmaceutical products at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, in Rivers State, in a move aimed at protecting Nigerians from unsafe and unregulated drugs.
The seized items were formally handed over to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) during a ceremony held at the NAHCO Shed of the airport.
Speaking during the handover, Customs Area Controller, Salamatu Atuluku, said the interception followed routine cargo examination and intelligence-driven operations conducted by Customs officers in collaboration with other relevant agencies.
She disclosed that officers uncovered six packages of pharmaceutical products, including Menotrophin 150 IU injections, Progesterone, Isifrane, and three additional packages containing Tramadol Ratiopharm injections.
According to Atuluku, the pharmaceutical consignments were discovered in two separate shipments and were neither properly declared nor accompanied by the mandatory regulatory certification required by NAFDAC for legal importation into Nigeria.
“These products were brought into the country without proper declaration and without the required regulatory clearance. No pharmaceutical product is permitted entry into Nigeria without full compliance with NAFDAC regulations,” she said.
The Comptroller described the misdeclaration as unacceptable, stressing that the Service remains committed to protecting public health by preventing the entry of harmful and substandard drugs into the country.
“Our responsibility is to shield Nigerians from unsafe and unregulated pharmaceutical products. We will not compromise on that duty,” she added.
Atuluku noted that the interception aligns with the policy direction of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, which emphasises intelligence-driven enforcement and inter-agency collaboration.
She commended officers of the Customs Intelligence Unit and other personnel involved in the operation, highlighting the importance of sustained cooperation among enforcement and regulatory agencies in safeguarding Nigeria’s pharmaceutical supply chain.
Responding on behalf of NAFDAC, Deputy Director of the Agency’s Port Inspection Directorate, Adepoju Raufu, praised the Nigeria Customs Service for its vigilance and prompt handover of the seized items.
He said the partnership between Customs and NAFDAC remains critical in preventing unregistered and potentially dangerous pharmaceutical products from reaching consumers.
Raufu assured that the seized pharmaceuticals would undergo proper regulatory procedures in accordance with the law and in the interest of public health protection.
The interception underscores ongoing efforts by Nigerian authorities to strengthen border controls and prevent the circulation of illicit and substandard medical products in the country.