In what officials have described as one of the largest pharmaceutical interceptions in recent years, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has seized 16 containers filled with contraband and misdeclared goods, including illicit drugs worth ₦20.5 billion.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, announced the seizure on Friday during a press briefing at the Customs Area 2 Command Headquarters, Onne Port, Rivers State. He conducted journalists around the intercepted containers, noting that 11 were packed with unregistered and dangerous pharmaceuticals.
According to Adeniyi, the drugs were concealed beneath layers of legitimate goods such as tomato paste, ceiling fans, plumbing materials, and vehicle parts in a deliberate attempt to evade detection.
Among the seized items were over 1.3 million bottles of Codeine syrup, 12.6 million tablets of Royal Tapentadol/Tramadol, and millions more of other controlled substances, including Really Extra Diclofenac, Trodol, and Bassuka.
“This seizure reflects a calculated attempt to exploit Nigeria’s trade channels and introduce hazardous substances into the market,” Adeniyi stated, warning of the potentially severe public health consequences.
The seizure followed a coordinated intelligence-led operation conducted by the Customs in partnership with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and the Office of the National Security Adviser.
He said the agency relied on the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 to carry out targeted operations across high-risk entry points, ultimately intercepting the contraband.
Adeniyi expressed concern over the growing sophistication of smuggling syndicates, citing the elaborate concealment under everyday consumer products. “This is a threat not only to public health but to national security,” he added.
NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, commended the Customs Service, describing the interception as a “critical line of defence” against hazardous pharmaceuticals.
“Their frontline vigilance is indispensable. Had these drugs entered circulation, the damage to Nigerian communities would have been immeasurable,” she said. NAFDAC will now subject the seized items to laboratory analysis and maintain strict oversight on pharmaceutical regulation.
Adeniyi concluded with a warning to smuggling syndicates: “Nigeria’s borders are not open to criminal enterprise. We will pursue violators with the full force of the law.”
He reaffirmed the Customs Service’s commitment to supporting President Bola Tinubu’s national security and economic reform agenda through stronger border enforcement and inter-agency cooperation.