The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted falsified pharmaceutical products and unauthorised security surveillance equipment valued at ₦921 million at the Apapa Port, Lagos. The seizure, which occurred between January and April 2025, underscores growing concerns over non-compliant import practices that threaten public health and national security.
Disclosing the development at a press briefing in Lagos, Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, said the seizures consisted of 11 shipments, including five 40-foot containers, two 20-foot containers, and four assorted consignments. Items recovered included large quantities of unregistered drugs, expired food items, and a cache of drone equipment smuggled into the country without necessary clearances.
Among the confiscated equipment were 60 warrior drones, 53 helicopter drones, and 10 professional FM transceiver walkie-talkies. The Comptroller-General noted that these devices were imported without End-User Certificates from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), a violation of Nigeria’s national security protocol.
The seized pharmaceutical products—many of which were sexual enhancement drugs—were falsely declared as personal effects and cosmetics. Most of the drugs bore no visible NAFDAC registration number, directly contravening Section 28 of the NAFDAC Act. Adeniyi described this deception as a grave threat to public safety and warned that the distribution of such substances could have far-reaching health consequences.
“We are increasingly witnessing a worrying trend in which importers attempt to smuggle a mixture of food items, pharmaceuticals, and controlled technologies within a single shipment. This poses not only a public health hazard but also a national security risk,” Adeniyi stated.
He warned importers to adhere strictly to Nigeria’s import guidelines, saying the Service would not hesitate to prosecute defaulters. “The Nigeria Customs Service will continue to act decisively against non-compliant behaviour, and we are prepared to use every legal and operational tool at our disposal to protect our nation’s borders,” he added.
The Comptroller-General commended the officers of the Apapa Area Command for their diligence and coordination with sister security agencies, which led to the successful interceptions. He reaffirmed the NCS’s commitment to inter-agency cooperation and intelligence-sharing in curbing the activities of transnational criminal networks exploiting Nigeria’s ports.
The NCS has since handed over the confiscated items to the appropriate authorities for further investigation and regulatory action.
