By Bashir Rabe Mani, Sokoto
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Sokoto/Zamfara Area Command, has handed over unregistered pharmaceutical products with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦5.8 million to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for further investigation and necessary action.
The handover took place on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at the Customs Area Command Headquarters in Sokoto.
Speaking during the ceremony, the Acting Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller H. I. Abdullahi, said the seizure was part of ongoing inter-agency collaboration and efforts to combat the smuggling of unregistered pharmaceutical products into the country.
He said the operation was carried out in line with the directive of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, to strengthen enforcement and protect public health.
“Today, in line with the existing inter-agency collaboration and the directive of the Comptroller-General of Customs, we are formally handing over seized unregistered pharmaceutical products to officials of NAFDAC for further investigation and necessary action,” Abdullahi said.
According to him, Customs patrol teams intercepted the products along the Illela–Sokoto road following credible intelligence and the vigilance of officers deployed to the area.
The seized items comprised 360 packages of anti-cold medication, each containing 50 cards of four tablets; 500 packages of Amodiaquine, each containing 25 cards of three tablets; 140 packages of paracetamol, each containing 100 cards of 10 tablets; and 100 packages of quinine, each containing 10 cards of 10 tablets.
Abdullahi said the importation of unregistered pharmaceutical products contravenes Section 55 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, and applicable NAFDAC regulations.
He warned that unregistered medicines could pose serious health risks to consumers because their safety, quality and suitability for use may not have been verified by the relevant regulatory authorities.
The Acting Controller also warned smugglers and dealers in unregistered pharmaceutical products that the command would not tolerate activities that endanger public health or undermine the nation’s economy.
“Let me use this opportunity to warn smugglers and those who deal in such unwholesome products that the Sokoto/Zamfara Command, under my watch, will not tolerate any form of smuggling.
“We remain vigilant and committed to safeguarding the health of citizens and the nation’s economy,” he said.
He commended the officers responsible for the interception, praising their diligence and courage, and acknowledged NAFDAC’s continued cooperation with the Customs Service.
Receiving the seized products on behalf of NAFDAC, the agency’s Sokoto State Coordinator, Abdeslamu Lawal, expressed appreciation to the Customs Service for its efforts and sustained partnership in tackling the circulation of unregistered and potentially harmful products.
Speaking on behalf of NAFDAC’s Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, and the agency’s management, Lawal said the collaboration between the two organisations remained critical to protecting public health.
“On behalf of the Director-General of NAFDAC and the entire management of NAFDAC, under the leadership of Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, I want to express our sincere appreciation to the Nigeria Customs Service for the wonderful collaboration we have been enjoying,” he said.
Lawal added that sustained cooperation between the two agencies was essential to identifying and removing unwholesome products from circulation.
He commended the Customs officers involved in the operation and expressed hope that the partnership would continue to produce more results in the fight against the distribution of unregistered pharmaceutical products.
The handover underscores the importance of collaboration between regulatory and enforcement agencies in curbing the circulation of unregistered medicines and protecting Nigerians from potential health hazards.
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