Eight containers of fake pharmaceutical drugs imported into the country through the nation’s seaports have been destroyed by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

The Assistant Comptroller General, Enforcement, Inspection and Investigation, Usman Dankingari, said the eight are part of the 48 meant for destruction over the next few days.

He made this known at the waste destruction site of the State Waste Management Agency (LAWMA), in Epe, Lagos State on Thursday.

Dankingari led the customs delegation in company with Comptroller Malanta Yusuf, Apapa Area Controller and the national spokesman of the service, DC Timi Bomodi.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC); National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Department of State Services (DSS) were also represented during the destruction of the items

According to Dankingari, the unregulated drugs like the ones being destroyed were fuelling banditry, kidnapping and insecurity in the country.

“These drugs fuel banditry, armed robbery, terrorism and insecurity in the country, and the reason the Federal Government, through the Customs and NAFDAC, regularly mop up these drugs from circulation.

“It is on the basis of this that the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), mandated us to come and destroy these illicit drugs in collaboration with other government agencies.

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“For today, we are destroying eight containers of these drugs. In total, we have 48 containers of drugs that will be destroyed in the coming days.

“These drugs came into the country as import units but were seized after examination revealed that they are substandard and fake, don’t have expiry or manufacturing date, didn’t pass though NAFDAC regulation and have everything written on them in foreign languages that Nigerians won’t be able to read,” he said.

He said that among the drugs destroyed are Tramadol in various brands, Diclofenac, Codeine and all sorts of analgesic drugs that were not certified for consumption by NAFDAC.

Also speaking, an assistant director, Enforcement and Investigation Directorate, NAFDAC, Mr. Kunle Ojo, explained that all the drugs earmarked for destruction did not pass through NAFDAC regulatory process.

“All these drugs have not passed through NAFDAC regulatory processes and thus are fake drugs.

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“Therefore, since we cannot certify that they were properly registered by NAFDAC, we cannot guaranty their genuineness.

“We want to thank the Customs for not letting these substandard drugs to get into the market because they can cause a lot of health hazards to the unsuspecting public.

“It can cause health hazards like cancer, liver problem, kidney problem and so many more,” he said.

Also, Yusuf said that the drugs flout section 46 and 47 of the Customs Excise Management Act (CEMA), and therefore are liable to seizure.

“To ensure they don’t get into the society, we are destroying them all, 48 containers in number.

“Before the end of the week, we should be done with the destruction process,” Yusuf said.

The Star