Just days ago at Onne Port, a major health disaster was narrowly averted.
Behind sealed container doors lay millions of fake drugs and tonnes of tainted tomato paste—illegally imported and poised to flood Nigerian markets.
NAFDAC and the Nigeria Customs Service didn’t wait for disaster to strike.
Instead, they sprang into action and intercepted the shipment before it reached Nigerian markets.
Massive Drug Haul Uncovered
During the weekend, Customs officers formally handed over the seized goods to NAFDAC Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye.
She accepted the consignment as a critical win in the agency’s ongoing battle against fake and harmful products.
Inside the containers, NAFDAC officials uncovered alarming quantities of illicit drugs.
They found 1.3 million bottles of codeine syrup, 12.6 million tramadol tablets, and 9.3 million falsified diclofenac tablets—all potent medications with high abuse potential.
In addition, they seized 280 packs of Hyergra, a counterfeit form of sildenafil citrate.
These dangerous products could have silently fuelled addiction, worsened public health, and overwhelmed Nigeria’s fragile health system.
Toxic Food Products Intercepted
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Moreover, NAFDAC experts examined the tomato paste and identified hazardous additives capable of triggering food poisoning, gastrointestinal distress, and long-term organ damage.
Rather than allow these toxic goods to infiltrate households, the agency cut them off at the source.
Institutional Dynergy Praised
Meanwhile, Adeyeye applauded the effective collaboration between NAFDAC and the Customs Service.
She declared that both agencies had united to defend Nigerians against deadly imports.
“We are confronting criminal merchants head-on,” she said.
“We won’t allow them to use threats or intimidation to bypass our watch.”
She urged citizens to stay alert and report counterfeit goods through NAFDAC’s local offices and official social media channels.
“We need the people’s support,” she emphasised.
“Only then can we block these threats before they spread.”
Public Health Risks Highlighted
Furthermore, Adeyeye warned about the broader risks of consuming falsified drugs and food products.
She explained that toxic substances and heavy metals can cause cancer, allergic reactions, chronic illnesses, cognitive disruption, and even death.
To strengthen the fight, NAFDAC continues to develop new enforcement strategies, expand its port surveillance, and tighten its grip on syndicates behind these imports.
“The threat is real,” Adeyeye concluded, “but our resolve is stronger.
With God and the people of Nigeria on our side, we will prevail.”
In a climate of rising concern about fake products flooding the country, this operation reinforces NAFDAC’s message: while smugglers may adapt, the agency and its partners will always act—faster, smarter, and with the nation’s safety at heart.
