February 16, (THEWILL) – Operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Sector 4 Joint Border Patrol, has intercepted unregistered and expired pharmaceutical products along the Illela border of Sokoto State.
Controller of the Sector North West Zone, Mr. Kolapo Ayodeji, at a press briefing in Sokoto while handing over the seized drugs to NAFDAC officials for onward destruction, said the unregistered drugs were found in a truck at Kajiji, Shagari Local Government Area of the state.
He disclosed that upon the examination of the truck, unregistered 300,000 packets of sex-enhancement drugs were found.
He said, “This seizure contravened both Nigeria Customs Service ban on the importation of pharmaceutical products through the land border without approval and further contravened NAFDAC laws as they do not have NAFDAC registration numbers.”
He noted that most of the seized pharmaceutical products have expired and are worth N19.62 million.
He reiterated the NCS’s commitment to fight smuggling under any guise, saying that “those trying our resolve will continue to meet their water-loo as we remain resolute at ensuring adequate surveillance of our borders.”
The Customs boss disclosed that the command also seized 35 Jerrican of 25 litres of premium motor spirit at the Illela border in line with ECOWAS sanctions on the Niger Republic.
He further reinforced his earlier pledge to adopt new strategies that would boost trade while enforcing the nation’s anti-smuggling laws along the borders in the North-west zone.
He stated that the food scarcity experienced in the country is as a result of illegal smuggling of foodstuff to neighbouring countries.
Ayodeji maintained that NCS has deployed technology to track smugglers who are bent on sabotaging Nigeria’s economy.
About the Author
Tunde Omolehin is an award-winning Journalist with prose in investigative and storytelling that is connecting the dots between the under-reported communities and policymakers to ensure good governance and accountability.
