WAR AGAINST ILLICIT DRUGS: AREA 1 CUSTOMS COMMAND, HANDS OVER EXPIRED DRUGS WORTHS OVER N50M TO NAFDAC

 

By Ifeanyi Nwaoha 

In her resolved to fight illegality at the Command, Customs Areas Controller (CAC), Area1 Customs Command,  Comptroller Salmatu Atuluku has made a tremendous seizure of expired pharmaceutical drugs of a 40ft container.

The handover ceremony took place on Wednesday 29, 2026 in Port Harcourt.

 The release made available to journalists by the Command PRO B. Aanee, said in parts , Area 1 Customs has  intercepted EXPIRED pharmaceutical products worth over N50M. The 40ft container said to contain the expired drugs was sequently hand over to the officials of the National Agency For Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), in Port Harcourt.

The CAC said the consignment of seized expired pharmaceutical products handed over to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for regulatory action and safe disposal, underscoring the agencies’ unwavering commitment to protecting public health.

 Receiving the intercepted products on behalf of NAFDAC, the Deputy Director, Port Inspection Directorate, Pharm. Adepoju Bayo Raufu, praised the Nigeria Customs Service for its vigilance, professionalism, and sustained collaboration in preventing expired and harmful pharmaceutical products from reaching Nigerian consumers 

He assured that NAFDAC would immediately commence the necessary regulatory processes to ensure the safe destruction of the expired medicines in strict compliance with existing laws, regulatory guidelines, and safety protocols.

 The Zonal Director of NAFDAC, South-South Zone, Pharm. Chukwuma Oligbu, described the handover as a clear demonstration of the strong partnership between NAFDAC and the Nigeria Customs Service. He commended the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Salamatu Atuluku, and officers of the Port Harcourt Area I Command for their professionalism, diligence, and steadfast commitment to safeguarding public health. Oligbu further called for sustained collaboration among security, regulatory, and enforcement agencies to strengthen efforts against the importation and circulation of expired, substandard, falsified, and unsafe pharmaceutical products across the country..

The ceremony concluded with the formal transfer of the intercepted expired pharmaceutical products, alongside the relevant documentation, from the Nigeria Customs Service to NAFDAC for appropriate regulatory action and environmentally safe disposal. The exercise reaffirmed the shared resolve of both agencies to strengthen border security, protect public health, and ensure that only safe, genuine, and duly regulated pharmaceutical products are allowed into Nigeria through its ports.

Further more, CAC S Atuluku said the success reflects the unwavering commitment of the command to ensuring that only safe, genuine and properly regulated pharmaceutical products are allowed into the country. Comptroller S Atiluku explained, "On June 22 2026, officers of NCS Area 1 Command PH, Shed 111, acting in collaboration with NAFDAC and other relevant agencies conducted a joint examination on a 1X 40ft container with Reg. No - MRSU 3199206, C NO 354, originating from United States of America (US). The container was found to contain 606 cartons of Ibuprofen capsules, 173 cartons of Donepezil Hydrochloride tablets, 266 cartons of subvenite tablets etc with CIF Value of over N50M", she stated. 

She observed that the interception of the consignment has helped to prevent what could have been a major public health disaster, adding that expired medicines poses serious health risk to consumers of such products. 

She warned unscrupulous importers and criminal networks that her Command is no go area for channels of such trade on expired, substandard pharmaceutical products into Nigeria. 

She emphasized that PH Area 1 Command remains unwavering in it's resolve to protect the nations borders against importation of harmful and prohibited goods. 

Comptroller Salamatu thanked CG Bashir Adewale Adeniyi and his management team for their transformational leadership, and his  unwavering commitment to intelligence driven enforcement, inter - agency collaboration and trade facilitation,  across the country. 

Reacting to the seizure,  some stakeholders present extolled the leadership quality and her collaboration with them and encouraged her to sanitise the Area 1 for maximum productivity.