Customs Hands Over ₦92 Million Worth of Expired Tramadol to NAFDAC in Adamawa

Also Read

 

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has handed over 91 cartons of expired tramadol capsules, valued at ₦92 million, to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Adamawa State.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the handover took place on Wednesday at the NCS Adamawa/Taraba Area Command headquarters in Yola, following a series of coordinated intelligence-led operations in Mubi, a border town notorious for smuggling.

Speaking during the event, Mr. Garba Bashir, Controller of Customs for the Adamawa/Taraba Area Command, said the operation averted a potential public health disaster.

“If the expired tramadol had found its way into circulation, innocent Nigerians could have suffered high morbidity and mortality, deterioration in human capital, and exposure to unfair market competition,” Bashir stated.

He added that the proliferation of expired and counterfeit drugs fuels youth drug abuse, often leading to violent crimes and social unrest.

“Seizing these expired and counterfeit substances is a gateway to combating organized crime, disrupting smuggling networks, and preventing the circulation of dangerous drugs,” he said.

Bashir noted that the seizure was made in accordance with Section 55 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, adding that the expired drugs would be destroyed jointly with NAFDAC after the official handover.

Citing World Health Organization (WHO) data, Bashir said over one million people die globally each year from consuming falsified or substandard medical products, with Africa bearing the heaviest burden.

He further disclosed that within six weeks, the command recorded 29 seizures worth ₦112.59 million in Duty Paid Value (DPV). The confiscated items included 20,600 litres of petroleum packed in 824 jerrycans, 54 cartons of foreign soaps, and 64 pieces of complete donkey skin.

In his remarks, Mr. Gonzuk Bedima, NAFDAC Coordinator in Adamawa, commended the Customs Service for its vigilance and pledged sustained collaboration to prevent harmful substances from reaching consumers.

In a related development, Nairametrics reported that in August, the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’ of the NCS handed over expired pharmaceutical products valued at ₦3.77 billion to NAFDAC for destruction.