In one of the largest pharmaceutical busts in recent years, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 16 containers of contraband and falsely declared goods—primarily illicit drugs—valued at ₦20.5 billion.
The seizure was announced on Friday at Onne Port in Rivers State by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, who led journalists on a tour of the intercepted goods during a press briefing at the Customs Area 2 Command Headquarters.
Adeniyi revealed that 11 of the containers were loaded with unregistered and dangerous pharmaceuticals, concealed beneath layers of legitimate goods such as tomato paste, ceiling fans, plumbing materials, and car parts.
Among the items seized were:
Over 1.3 million bottles of Codeine syrup
12.6 million tablets of Tapentadol and Tramadol
Several other unregulated prescription drugs known for high abuse potential
“This represents a calculated attempt to exploit Nigeria’s trade system and flood the market with harmful substances,” Adeniyi stated, warning that the public health implications could have been disastrous.
