From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), on Monday, confirmed that it intercepted five 40feet containers that were scheduled for Nigeria with tramadol and other banned substances worth N95 billion.
Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, told journalists at a press conference in Abuja, that the success of the operations was as a result of the support received from the officials of Nigeria Customs Service and other officials at the various Ports.
She said the chase for the containers started when intelligence report was shared with NAFDAC that 31 containers of unregistered pharmaceutical products including tramadol 200mg were being shipped into Nigeria by some “unscrupulous” elements from India.
She said: “Following the intelligence report that came from the Presidency in August 2018, I directed the Director of Ports Inspection Directorate, Prof. Samson Adebayo, to be on alert and position his intelligence and monitoring officers for the task ahead.
“The Director, Ports Inspection Directorate, working with his Intelligence and Monitoring Unit commenced the surveillance and monitoring of the reported containers from the ports of loading to the successive ports where they were transloaded along the sea routes. Our first approach was to collaborate with the Nigeria Customs Service.
“Eventually, 21 of the containers were discharged at the Apapa port in Lagos, Nigeria, as manifested. One container couldn’t be tracked because of a missing container number. Unfortunately, out of the 21 containers, only two had building materials.
“However, as the importers of the containers became aware that NAFDAC was tracking and monitoring the containers on arrival at the Apapa port and intercepting them, they decided to change their strategy by diverting the remaining away from the Nigerian port. Four containers never got to Nigeria but were discharged at transhipment in Malaysia.
“One container was transferred to Cotonou port in the Republic of Benin while four containers were initially diverted to the Tema Port in Ghana but later diverted them to Cotonou having met resistance from Ghana Food and Drug Agency that NAFDAC had already contacted for collaboration to stop the four containers.
“We also liaised with the Ambassador of Nigeria to the Republic of Benin at the time, Ambassador Kayode Oguntuase, who worked tirelessly to ensure that the port authority in the Republic of Benin effected the seizure of the five containers on the request of NAFDAC.
“Oguntuase’s successor, Olukayode Aluko never relented in his effort at ensuring that all the five containers are released to NAFDAC for destruction. Meanwhile, some entity took the case to court in Benin that the containers should be brought back to Nigeria.
“The case took about one year plus but Ambassador Aluko stayed on it until the court made the judgement that the containers can be destroyed in Benin. Alas, the government of the Republic of Benin eventually agreed to engage with the Nigerian counterparts to carry out the destruction of the containers in Cotonou.
“Meanwhile, the following products were found in the five containers during the joint physical examination; Tamral 225 tablet tramadol HCL 1,276 CTNSX50 rolls X10X10 tablet; Tamral 250MG tablet tramadol HCL 571 CTNS X50 rolls X10X10 tablet; tramadol 120MG capsules tramadol HCL 129 CTN X30rollsX20X10 capsule; Tramadol 225MG tabs tramadol HCL 415 CTNSX50 rollsX10X10 tabs.
“Others are tramadol 225MG tabs HCL 415 CTNSX50 rollsX10X10 tabs; Really extra Diclofenac tablet 50MG & caffeine 58 CTN X 50 X 10 X 10 tabs; Relity extra Diclofenac tablet 50MG CTN X 50 X 10 X 10 tabs. The street value of the drugs was estimated at N95 billion.”
She, however, confirmed that a team of NAFDAC officers comprising Investigation and Enforcement Directorate officers led by Prof. Adebayo, the Director of Ports Inspection Directorate, travelled to Cotonou where the destruction exercise of the five containers took place on 21st and 22nd December, 2022, respectively.
The NAFDAC boss described the destruction as an international landmark achievement that had never been recorded in the history of the two countries and NAFDAC, adding that the success did not come without the unflinching efforts of the staff of Ports Inspection Directorate in Apapa and Seme Border.
She appreciated the support that came from Government of the Republic Benin, Nigerian Embassy in the Republic of Benin, Nigeria Customs Service, and Ghana Food and Drug Agency, which made the operations successful.