NCS Seizes Prohibited Items, Unregistered Pharmaceuticals Worth Over N921m at Apapa Port
…Adeniyi Raises Alarm over Surge in Dangerous Imports, Sophisticated Smuggling Tactics
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has recorded a major enforcement breakthrough with the interception of eleven shipments containing prohibited items and unregistered pharmaceuticals valued at over N921 million, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, announced on Tuesday, 30 April 2025, during a press briefing at the Apapa Port Command.
Adeniyi, while addressing members of the press, officers of the Service, and critical stakeholders, said the seizures formed part of intensified efforts to protect Nigeria’s economic integrity, public health, and national security in line with the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and Executive Order on Port Operations.
“The Service has documented with concern the increasing sophistication of smuggling tactics targeting our maritime domain, particularly the nation’s premier port facility at Apapa,” he said.
According to the CGC, the seizures, carried out between January and April 2025, were the result of targeted interdictions based on intelligence-led operations.
The contraband included unregistered pharmaceutical products, expired food items, and high-risk equipment such as drones and communication devices imported without the necessary regulatory and security clearances.
The seizures include: Five (5) 40-foot containers, Two (2) 20-foot containers, and Four (4) incidents of loose contraband.
The total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of these items stands at N921,021,213.00.
Adeniyi revealed that 63.7% of the seized items were unregistered pharmaceutical products, a gross violation of Section 28 of the NAFDAC Act.
These included sexual enhancement drugs such as Sildenafil Citrate Oral Jelly, Rocket Sildenafil Tablets, and various products falsely declared as cosmetics or general merchandise.
Other intercepted containers included: Expired margarine products (DPV: N240,226,086 from two containers), 60 units of Warrior drones (DPV: N15.9 million), 53 units of helicopter drones (DPV: N2.1 million), and 10 professional FM transceivers (DPV: ₦520,000), all imported without End-User Certificates from the Office of the National Security Adviser.
One container labelled as general medicine (Omeprazole) was found to contain 1,001 cartons of HYEGRA Sildenafil Citrate 200mg tablets falsely declared to evade scrutiny. Another container misrepresented 805 packages of unregistered skin creams as cosmetic powder.
“These items constitute a clear and present danger to public health, with potential to cause significant morbidity and mortality if permitted to infiltrate our domestic markets,” Adeniyi warned.
The CGC identified worrying trends from intelligence analysis: A surge in sexual enhancement drug smuggling, found in five of the eleven seizures; the use of strategic misdeclaration, such as classifying pharmaceuticals as cosmetics; evidence of organised syndicates systematically combining multiple contraband types in single shipments.
According to the CGC, other trends identified included: Exploitation of regulatory loopholes in source countries with weak pharmaceutical controls, and an emerging threat from high-tech imports like drones and transceivers without necessary national security vetting.
“The scale and standardised value of these shipments—averaging N140-145 million per 40-foot container—suggest these are not isolated incidents but well-organised commercial operations,” Adeniyi noted.
The CGC credited the success of these operations to strategic collaboration with NAFDAC, NDLEA, and ONSA under existing Memoranda of Understanding and joint operational frameworks.
“The nexus between unregistered pharmaceuticals, controlled substances, and national security infrastructure continues to present a multidimensional threat matrix to our sovereignty,” he explained.
In the first quarter of 2025 alone, the NCS recorded 22 narcotics seizures with a cumulative DPV of N730.7 million, representing a 34.6% increase over the same period in 2024.
Adeniyi commended officers and men of the Apapa Port Command for their vigilance and professionalism, reaffirming the Service’s zero-tolerance policy for illicit importation.
“We shall deploy all resources at our disposal to ensure that Nigeria’s borders remain secure against the importation of items prejudicial to national security, economic prosperity, and public health,” he declared.
He also urged the public and all stakeholders in the import-export chain to comply with extant regulations and report suspicious shipments through confidential channels.
“Our collective vigilance remains the most effective deterrent against transnational criminal networks attempting to compromise our borders,” he concluded.
The press briefing closed with a renewed commitment to uphold integrity, professionalism, and patriotism in the discharge of the Service’s mandate.
