The Nigerian Customs Service, Area 2 Command in Onne, Rivers State in collaboration with the office of the National Security Adviser has destroyed about 60 containers of substandard and illegally imported pharmaceutical products worth over N100bn.
The destruction took place at the Rivers State Waste Management dump site along the Port Harcourt Airport Road on Wednesday.
Speaking at the site of the operation, Assistant Controller General of Customs from the Enforcement, Inspection and Investigation Department of the Nigerian Customs Service, Timi Bomodi, said it was a joint operation carried out by a multiagency committee set up by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
Bomodi, who also serves as chairman of the committee for the destruction of illegally imported pharmaceuticals, said, “It is a committee that was set up by the National Security Adviser comprising all other regulatory agencies.
“And so, we are here today to carry out the main objective of the assignment, which is the destruction. The mandate given to this committee was to identify, isolate, evacuate, and destroy pharmaceuticals that were illegally imported into this country.
“Here in Port Harcourt, we are destroying about 64 pieces of 40-foot containers with an estimated market value that runs into hundreds of billions of naira.
“And as it is today, we are executing it without fear or favour, and sending a clear message to all those who are engaged in this kind of practice that they should desist.”
While lamenting the impact of the substances on both the well-being and security of Nigerians, he said, “As we know, these pharmaceuticals pose a very grave danger, not only to the health and well-being of Nigerians but also to the security of Nigerians.
He further said, “Some of these substances have been identified as a means of sustenance for criminals, kidnappers, and bandits, and they’ve used these illegally imported pharmaceuticals to facilitate their illicit conduct and behaviour.”
While noting that the containers had been seized over time by both officers of the NCS and other agencies, he said, “We have the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, the National Drug, Law Enforcement Agency. As you know, these agencies work together at the ports to ensure that there are no breaches in the security architecture of the country especially regarding imports.
“So, it is a joint exercise and of course, the Office of the National Security Advisor, who is coordinating this exercise, to ensure that we do a thorough job about evacuation, isolation and destruction,” he explained.
On the number of arrests made so far, the Customs ACG said, “There are some arrests but they are still under investigation. So I can’t give you a definite figure for the total number of persons arrested. There are cases in court, and some have been prosecuted.
“We have had condemnations on these items. Some of them have fictitious import documents, so you don’t have accurate information concerning the importer.
“But we are making all efforts trying to see that all those who are involved, directly or remotely, in this activity are brought to book.
On his part, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, expressed satisfaction with the job done so far by the committee.
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