Customs Sets to Destroy 58 Containers of Tramadol Drugs in Port Harcourt, Bauchi, Kaduna

By Dapo Olawuni |

The Nigeria Customs Service has said that about 58 containers of tramadol and other illicit drugs worth N14,706,322,871 would be destroyed in Port Harcourt, Kaduna and Bauchi.

Comptroller General of Customs, Col Hameed Ali (rtd) represented by Assistant Comptroller General in charge of Zone A, Mrs. Kaycee Ekekezie flagged off the destruction of smuggled tramadol and other illicit drugs seized by the service.

The destruction exercise took place at the Shagamu dump site in Ogun State

The exercise was conducted in collaboration with National Agency for Food Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) National Environmental Standard Regulatory Enforcement Agency (NESREA) and other security agencies.

Speaking ACG Kaycee Ekekezie, said the destruction of Tramadol drugs becomes necessary to curtail banditry and other crimes committed in the country under the influence of hard drugs.

She said this will serve as deterrent to other importers not to engage in illicit drugs importation, but to channel their resources to productive businesses that will add value to the nation’s economy.

Also speaking at the event, Chairman of the joint committee comprising customs and National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC),Aminu Dahiru, disclosed that a total of 58 containers valued at N14,706,322,871 are up for destruction.

Dahiru said his CGC believes strongly in the synergy between customs and other organisations in the fight against sub standards, unregistered drugs and abuse of regulated products.

Dahiru added that most violent crimes like robberies, kidnappings, banditry and others are linked to consumption of illicit drugs

“We are starting the destruction here because of the high volume of seizures made in the South West where a lot of Customs activities take place

“We shall be doing similar destructions in Port Harcourt, Kaduna and Bauchi where we have customs zones.

“Residents and stakeholders in these areas should await our invitations soon.

“These drug seizures were made in the face of attacks, maiming, killings and other unwarranted provocations.

“Even as we are here,some of our anti smuggling officers have been receiving threats for their exploits. Smugglers of these drugs are unhappy because we stopped them from making money through destruction of lives.

“Our men come under threat severally for their uncompromising posture in the fight against smuggling of any kind and we will never compromise” Dahiru said.

The Director General of NAFDAC who was represented by Emejezie MD commended customs efforts in preventing the smuggling of the drugs into Nigeria.

She said the approved milligrams for tramadol is 50 and 100 milligrams while the higher milligrams above 100 are prohibited.

Some of the destroyed drugs are of 250,500 and 1000 milligrams

The destruction was witnessed by office of the Ogun State Governor representatives of NAFDAC, National Environmental Standard Regulatory Enforcement Agency (NESREA)