NAFDAC Receives N20.5bn Fake Drugs, Tomato Paste from Customs

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) handed over 15 containers of fake drugs and unwholesome tomato paste, valued at N20.5 billion, to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Saturday, August 2, 2025, at Onne Port in Port Harcourt. The seizure, comprising 11 containers of unregistered and banned pharmaceuticals, including 1.3 million bottles of codeine syrup, 12.6 million tramadol tablets, and 9.3 million falsified diclofenac tablets, and four containers of substandard tomato paste, underscores a joint effort to curb the influx of dangerous goods. Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi presented the consignment to NAFDAC Director-General Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, highlighting the collaboration’s role in safeguarding public health amid ongoing smuggling challenges. Adeyeye praised the Customs Service’s vigilance, warning importers that such illicit trade will not be tolerated despite threats and attacks on NAFDAC staff. She stressed the severe health risks posed by these products, from organ damage to increased cancer risks, and urged Nigerians to report suspicious goods to support the agency’s mission. The handover, part of a broader anti-smuggling operation, reflects intensified efforts to protect the nation’s markets, though questions linger about the effectiveness of enforcement given the scale of the seizure and the sophistication of concealment methods used by smugglers.