Esther Oritse
Lagos — The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commenced the destruction of expired and counterfeit pharmaceuticals imported into the country.
On Thursday, the agency began by destroying five 40-foot containers in Lagos. These items, worth billions of naira, were seized over the past year at various seaports and land borders by Customs officers.
Speaking at the Alaro dumpsite in Epe, Lagos, Assistant Comptroller General of Customs for Enforcement, Inspection, and Investigation, Timi Bomodi, revealed that the exercise will be conducted simultaneously across the country. Bomodi, who chairs the committee established by the National Security Adviser (NSA) to handle the identification, isolation, evacuation, and destruction of illegal pharmaceuticals, stated that the next phases would take place in Port Harcourt, Calabar, and Kano.
He said: “This exercise is nationwide. We are starting here in Lagos with about 88 containers.
“We’ll also be moving to Port Harcourt, where over 20 containers will be destroyed, then Calabar and Kano. It’s a multi-agency effort aimed at tackling the menace of illegal pharmaceuticals, which pose significant risks to public health and security.”
He atated that these expired drugs, worth hundreds of billions of naira, pose serious threats to the health and safety of Nigerians, as well as national security. Some of the substances have been linked to criminal activities such as kidnapping and other crimes.
The senior Customs Officer disclosed that the destruction exercise involves collaboration with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), and the Office of the NSA.
“All hands are on deck to ensure these dangerous substances do not return to society,” he said.
He also noted that alongside the destruction, efforts are ongoing to prosecute individuals involved in the illegal importation of these pharmaceuticals. “Several cases are in court, and prosecutions are underway,” Bomodi added.
Speaking on behalf of the NSA, Commodore Kingsley Ogbonna reiterated the government’s commitment to eradicating fake and expired drugs from the system. According to Ogbonna, the NSA, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, is passionate about ensuring that illicit and substandard pharmaceuticals, as well as substances of abuse, are removed from circulation.
“The harmful nature of these items cannot be overstated,” Ogbonna said. “The goal is to ensure they are permanently destroyed and do not make their way back to the public.”
The destruction of these pharmaceuticals underscores the government’s determination to protect public health, enhance security, and hold offenders accountable.
