Customs seize over 580,000 unregistered medicines at Kano airport

The Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted more than 580,000 unregistered pharmaceutical products at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport and handed them over to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control for further action.

The seizure was made by the Kano/Jigawa Area Command following an intelligence-driven operation aimed at preventing unsafe medicines from entering the Nigerian market.

This was contained in a statement posted on NCS’s X handle on Thursday.

Speaking during the handover ceremony at the Customs House in Bompai, Kano, the Acting Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Usman Adamu, said the products were intercepted on June 9, 2026, at the SAHCO Shed of the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport.

According to him, the consignments were subjected to a joint examination by officials of the Nigeria Customs Service and NAFDAC, which confirmed that the products lacked the mandatory registration and certification required for importation and distribution in Nigeria.

Adamu said “the seizure comprised 575,440 tablets of various medicaments, 5,415 injections, 1,075 bottles of eye drops and 243 inhaler canisters.”

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He added, “The interception underscores the commitment of the NCS to protecting public health and strengthening collaboration with regulatory agencies in combating the influx of illicit and uncertified pharmaceutical products into the country.

“The products were found to be unregistered and therefore not approved for circulation in Nigeria. Their interception is part of our ongoing efforts to safeguard the health and well-being of Nigerians.”

The acting Customs Area Controller warned importers and distributors involved in the illegal importation of pharmaceutical products to desist from such activities, stressing that the command would continue to intensify surveillance and enforcement operations against violators.

Receiving the items on behalf of NAFDAC, Assistant Director in the agency’s Ports Inspection Directorate in Kano, Azik Kanadi, commended the Customs Service for the interception, describing it as a significant step towards protecting Nigerians from potentially harmful pharmaceutical products.

Kanadi warned importers against bringing unregistered medicines into the country, noting that drugs that have not undergone regulatory evaluation pose serious health risks to consumers.

“NAFDAC will remain committed to working closely with Customs and other relevant agencies to prevent the circulation of unsafe medicines and ensure that only approved pharmaceutical products are available in the Nigerian market,” he said.