The federal government has started a nationwide destruction of over 250 containers of expired pharmaceutical products intercepted by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), at the nation’s seaports.
LEADERSHIP Weekend reports that the National Security Adviser (NSA), had set up a committee for the identification, isolation, evacuation and destruction of illegally imported pharmaceuticals in the country.
The committee comprised the Nigerian Army, Navy, Customs, National Agency for Food Drugs Administration and Agency (NAFDAC) and Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Speaking on the destruction of the drugs, the chairman of the committee, Assistant Comptroller General of Customs, Timi Bomodi, said the destruction of the contraband will be done simultaneously across the country.
ACG Bomodi, who is also the Chairman of the committee for the identification, isolation, evacuation and destruction of illegally imported pharmaceuticals, said the next phase of destruction after Lagos is Port Harcourt, Calabar and Kano.
“This exercise cuts across the Federation. We’re starting here in Lagos, specifically with about 88 containers. We’ll also be going to Port Harcourt where we have over 20 containers, Calabar, then Kano. So it cuts across the whole country.
“It’s an exercise that is very dear to the hearts of the National Security Adviser, particularly with regards to the public well-being and welfare.
When you add the security implications, then that holds it very dear to his mind. I’m sure you’ve seen everybody here because this is a multi-agency approach that is now being deployed to effectively tackle this menace of importation of some of these substances or items that are not approved by designated agencies.
Bomodi, who said the committee destroyed contraband worth several billions of naira, disclosed that the expired pharmaceuticals posed a very serious challenge to the health and well-being of Nigerians.
“Well, it’s a lot. I don’t have the Duty Paid Value (DPV), but it’s a lot because we are talking about hundreds of 40-foot containers, spread across the country and others that were not packaged in containers.”
“So, it’s a lot, we are talking of billions, hundreds of billions of Naira. So, such an act occurs daily, or should I say yearly, and the Nigerian Customs Service seems to always destroy this product. The drugs are fake, not registered, and they pose a very serious challenge to the health and well-being of Nigerians.
“And I said also, you know, the issue of security, because some of these pharmaceuticals have been identified to be used by elements in society that are causing so much trouble. We’re talking about cases of kidnapping and crime and all kinds of crimes.”
The Customs ACG further disclosed that in conjunction with the National Agency for Food Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), and the office of the NSA, are putting hands on deck to end Importation of fake and expired Pharmaceuticals into the country.
“Not just the Customs Service, NAFDAC, NDLEA, the Office of the NSA, everybody, we are all putting our hands on deck to ensure that these persons who are intent on engaging in this kind of business don’t get away with it. So beyond the destruction of the items imported, there are also prosecutions. Several of these cases are in court, and some persons have been prosecuted for this particular activity.
Also speaking, the representative of the National Security Adviser, Commodore Kingsley Ogbonna, said the NSA, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, is determined to get fake, expired pharmaceuticals out of the nation’s system.
“When it comes to illicit, substandard, contraband and pharmaceuticals, the NSA is very passionate about it, such items as well as substances of abuse does not and must not in any way get back to the society, get back to the people, because of the harmful nature which already the ACG has mentioned.
“So, he wants to get them out, make sure they are destroyed, and get them off the system,” he stated.
