Bayo Akomolafe 
The Federal Operations Unit Zone A (FOU A) of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has handed over expired pharmaceutical products worth ₦3.8 billion to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The handover was conducted by Comptroller Mohammed Shuaibu during a courtesy visit to the unit by NAFDAC’s new Director of Enforcement and Investigation, Dr. Martin Iluyomade.
FOU’s Public Relations Officer, Hussaini Abdullahi, said in a statement on Tuesday that the exercise reflects the Customs Service’s commitment to implementing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between both agencies, aimed at curbing the importation of fake and counterfeit products.
Shuaibu said the consignment included three truckloads of expired drugs packed in sacks and cartons. Some of the products are Hyergra, Royal Tablets 225, CSC Codeine Syrup, Really Extral, Tramadol, Amlodipine, Milk Oil Flavour, and Firegra. He disclosed that the Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the drugs stood at ₦3,779,500,000.
“The wide range of these products poses serious risks to public health if not properly regulated,” he said. “The service remains committed to ensuring the safety and efficacy of medications, and expired products must be handled with utmost seriousness.”
He assured that the handover was not a one-off exercise, adding that more seizures would be transferred to NAFDAC after ongoing investigations.
Receiving the items on behalf of NAFDAC Director-General, Dr. Iluyomade commended the Customs Service for its dedication to the MoU, describing the collaboration as “a healthy and strategic partnership.”
He pledged that NAFDAC would intensify its efforts in combating the smuggling of counterfeit and fake pharmaceutical products.
