The Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), on Tuesday handed over expired pharmaceutical products valued at N3.77 billion to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

This was disclosed in a statement by the command’s public relations officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs Hussaini Abdullahi, in Lagos.

Mr Abdullahi said the handover took place during a visit by the new NAFDAC Director of Enforcement and Investigation, Martin Iluyomade, to FOU Zone ‘A’ on August 25.

The controller of FOU Zone ‘A’, Comptroller Mohammed Shu’aibu, reaffirmed the service’s commitment to upholding the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between NCS and NAFDAC.

He described this as a milestone in Nigeria’s fight against fake and counterfeit products.

“What we are witnessing today is a follow-up to the MoU between the two agencies.

“This MoU emphasises the importance of collaboration among regulatory and security agencies to continuously thwart the smuggling and importation of harmful consignments,” he said.

Mr Shu’aibu disclosed that three trucks loaded with various expired pharmaceutical products were handed over.

The items, packed in sacks and cartons, included Hypergra, Royal Tablets 225, CSC Codeine Syrup, Really Extral, Tramadol, Amlodipine, Milk Oil Flavour, and Firegra, among others.

“The wide range of these products poses serious risks to public health if not properly regulated.

“The duty paid value (DPV) of the expired pharmaceuticals stands at N3.77 billion,” he added.

He stressed that the service remained committed to ensuring the safety and efficacy of medicines in Nigeria and that expired products would be handled with utmost seriousness.

According to him, the handover is not a one-off event, as more consignments will be transferred to NAFDAC after ongoing investigations.

He assured Nigerians that customs would continue to prioritise public health by preventing expired and counterfeit drugs from circulating in markets.

Receiving the consignments on behalf of the NAFDAC director-general, Mr Iluyomade commended the NCS for its unwavering commitment to the MoU, describing the collaboration as a strategic partnership in safeguarding public health.

He noted that NAFDAC would redouble its efforts in combating the smuggling of counterfeit and fake pharmaceuticals.

(NAN)