Customs Port Harcourt Area 1 Command Hands over Seized Pharmaceutical to NAFDAC

The Nigeria Customs Service, Port Harcourt Area I Command, says it has handed over pharmaceutical products intercepted at Omagwa International Airport recently to NAFDAC.

This disclosure was contained in a press release issued, signed and made available to our media platform by the Command's Public Relations officer Barilule Aanee, an Assistant Superintendent of Customs 1, in Port Harcourt the Rivers state Capital.

The statement noted that the formal handing over of   the intercepted pharmaceutical products to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control on February 12, 2026 was done at the NAHCO Shed, Port Harcourt International Airport Omagwa, Rivers State.

The event was attended by representatives of sister security agencies, freight forwarding associations, and members of the press, underscoring the importance of coordinated regulatory efforts in safeguarding public health and national security.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, the Customs Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Salamatu Atuluku stated that the interception was made during routine examination and intelligence driven scrutiny at the NAHCO Shed by officers of the Command in collaboration with relevant agencies.

She disclosed that six packages of pharmaceutical products, including Menotrophin 150 IU injections, Progesterone, and Isifrane, as well as three packages of medicaments containing Tramadol Ratiopharm injections, were discovered in two separate consignments.

The products according to the statement were neither properly declared nor accompanied by the mandatory NAFDAC certification required for lawful importation into Nigeria.

The Customs Area 1 boss, further revealed that one shipment originated under the name Zecho Oil and Gas Nig. Ltd for Elite Health Pharmacy Ltd with Airway Bill No. 020 34858250, weighing 135 kilograms and amounting to 4,300 units transported by Lufthansa Cargo Airline was among the seized products.

More so, another consignment on Allied Airway Bill No. 574 34543283 from Amsterdam was falsely declared as spare parts.

She emphasized that regardless of the importer or volume involved, "no pharmaceutical product is permitted entry into Nigeria without proper declaration and regulatory clearance from NAFDAC."

She therefore, reaffirmed the Command’s unwavering commitment to protecting Nigerians from harmful, unregulated, and substandard pharmaceutical products, noting that the action aligned with the policy thrust of the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, which anchored on Innovation, Collaboration and Consolidation.

Comptroller  Atuluku commended the diligence of the Customs Intelligence Unit and all officers involved, stressing that sustained inter agency cooperation remained vital to strengthening enforcement and preserving the integrity of the nation’s supply chain.

 Responding, the Deputy Director of the NAFDAC Port Inspection Directorate, Pharm. Adepoju Bayo Raufu, expressed appreciation to the Nigeria Customs Service for its vigilance and prompt handover of the intercepted items while noting that the collaboration between NAFDAC and Customs played a critical role in preventing unregistered and potentially dangerous pharmaceutical products from entering the Nigerian market.

He then assured that the Agency would subject the items to appropriate regulatory procedures in line with its mandate to safeguard public health.

The event,  the statement noted concluded with the formal transfer of the consignments to NAFDAC for further regulatory action, reinforcing the shared commitment of both agencies to uphold established importation standards and protect citizens even as the Nigeria Customs Service, Port Harcourt Area I Command, reiterated its resolve to sustain intelligence driven operations, deepen collaboration with sister agencies, and ensure that only properly declared and certified pharmaceutical products gain access into the country.

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