Expired pharmaceuticals seized by Nigeria Customs in Lagos, worth N3.7bn, handed over to NAFDAC in continued crackdown on fake and harmful drugs

Expired pharmaceuticals seized by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) have been handed over to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), in what authorities call a major blow to drug smuggling operations.

Also read:Lagos shuts down 35 supermarkets over expired goods

The expired items, valued at a staggering ₦3.7 billion, were intercepted by the Federal Operations Unit Zone A in Ikeja, Lagos.

Customs Area Controller, Mohammed Shuaibu, formally handed over the contraband during a courtesy visit from NAFDAC’s Director of Enforcement and Investigation, Dr Martin Iluyomade.

Shuaibu emphasized that this operation demonstrates the strength of the existing Memorandum of Understanding between NCS and NAFDAC in protecting public health.

“What we are witnessing today is a follow-up of the MoU, underscoring the power of inter-agency collaboration to stop the smuggling of harmful pharmaceuticals,” Shuaibu stated.

The three seized trucks contained a variety of expired pharmaceutical brands including hyergra, tramadol, CSC codine syrup, amlodipine, firegra, and other drugs packed in sacks and cartons.

The expired pharmaceuticals seized pose a grave risk to public health, Shuaibu warned.

He added that this was not an isolated seizure. “More products will be handed over as investigations continue. We are committed to ensuring these fake and expired drugs never reach the market,” he affirmed.

Receiving the consignments, Dr. Iluyomade commended the Customs’ decisive action, calling the partnership between NAFDAC and NCS both “strategic and essential” to Nigeria’s pharmaceutical integrity.

He promised that NAFDAC would intensify efforts to eliminate counterfeit drug circulation.

Also read: Nigeria Customs Revenue at KLT Rises 63% to ₦89.2bn

This handover reinforces the government’s ongoing commitment to safeguarding the health and safety of Nigerians by preventing dangerous drugs from reaching unsuspecting consumers.