{"id":1958,"date":"2025-02-13T08:31:49","date_gmt":"2025-02-13T08:31:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/?p=1958"},"modified":"2025-02-13T08:32:03","modified_gmt":"2025-02-13T08:32:03","slug":"customs-destroy-seized-illicit-drugs-worth-over-n100bn-in-rivers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/2025\/02\/13\/customs-destroy-seized-illicit-drugs-worth-over-n100bn-in-rivers\/","title":{"rendered":"Customs Destroy Seized Illicit Drugs Worth Over N100bn In Rivers"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Reporter<\/div>\n
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Worried at the proliferation of illicit drugs at the nation:s Seaports, the Nigerian Customs Service in collaboration with the office of the National Security Adviser on Wednesday destroyed about sixty containers containing banned products especially illicit drugs worth over one hundreds billion naira, illegally imported into the country.<\/div>\n
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The items intercepted\u00a0 at the Customs Area 2 Command, Onne Port, were destroyed and burnt at the Rivers State Waste Management (RIWAMA) dump site along the Port Harcourt Airport Road, in the state.<\/div>\n
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Assistant Controller General of Customs from the Enforcement,\u00a0 Inspection and Investigation\u00a0 Department of the Nigerian\u00a0 Customs Service, Timi Bomodi, told newsmen that the destruction was a joint operation by a multi agency committee set up by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.<\/div>\n
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Bomodi, who also serves as chairman of the committee for the\u00a0 destruction of illegally imported\u00a0 pharmaceuticals explained that, \u201cA committee\u00a0 that\u00a0 was\u00a0 set\u00a0 up by the\u00a0 National\u00a0 Security\u00a0 Adviser comprising all\u00a0 other\u00a0 regulatory\u00a0 agencies.\u00a0 It’s\u00a0 a\u00a0 multi -agency\u00a0 committee and\u00a0 it\u00a0 is\u00a0 a\u00a0 national\u00a0 assignment\u00a0 that\u00a0 covers\u00a0 these\u00a0 imports\u00a0 from\u00a0 across\u00a0 the\u00a0 country.<\/div>\n
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\u201cAnd\u00a0 so\u00a0 we\u00a0 are\u00a0 here\u00a0 today\u00a0 to carry\u00a0 out\u00a0 the\u00a0 main\u00a0 objective\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 assignment,\u00a0 which\u00a0 is\u00a0 the\u00a0 destruction.\u00a0 The\u00a0 mandate\u00a0 given\u00a0 to\u00a0 this\u00a0 committee\u00a0 was\u00a0 to\u00a0 identify,\u00a0 isolate,\u00a0 evacuate,\u00a0 and\u00a0 destroy pharmaceuticals\u00a0 that\u00a0 were\u00a0 illegally\u00a0 imported\u00a0 into\u00a0 this\u00a0 country.<\/div>\n
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\u201cHere\u00a0 in\u00a0 Port\u00a0 Harcourt,\u00a0 we\u00a0 are\u00a0 destroying about sixty pieces of 40 -foot containers with an estimated market value that runs into\u00a0 hundreds of billions of Naira and,\u00a0 as it is today, we are executing it\u00a0 without fear of favour.<\/div>\n
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“This is sending a clear message to all those that are engaged in this kind of practice that they should desist\u201d.<\/div>\n
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Continuing, Bomodi lamented the impact of the substances on both the well being and security of Nigerians.<\/div>\n
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He said, \u201cAs we know, these\u00a0 pharmaceuticals pose a very\u00a0 grave\u00a0 danger, not only to the\u00a0 health and well -being of Nigerians, but also to the security of\u00a0 Nigerians.<\/div>\n
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\u201cBecause some of these substances have been identified\u00a0 as a means of sustenance for criminals, kidnappers, bandits, and\u00a0 so on and they’ve used these illegally imported pharmaceuticals\u00a0 to facilitate their illicit conduct and behavior.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThese containers have been\u00a0 arrested over time by both officers\u00a0 of Nigerian customs service and\u00a0 other agencies. We have the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, the National Drug, Law Enforcement Agency, as you must know these\u00a0 agencies work\u00a0 together at the port to ensure that there are no\u00a0 breaches in the security\u00a0 architecture of the country\u00a0 especially regards to imports.<\/div>\n
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\u201cSo it is a joint exercise and of\u00a0 course the Office of the National\u00a0 Security Adviser who is\u00a0 coordinating this exercise to\u00a0 ensure that we do a thorough job in regards to evacuation, isolation\u00a0 and\u00a0 destruction\u201d.<\/div>\n
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The AGC disclosed that some arrests have been made, and warned against the importation of illegal pharmaceuticals.<\/div>\n
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He vowed that the committee will stop at nothing to bring anyone found wanting to book.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThere were arrests, there are still investigations going on, so I can’t\u00a0 give\u00a0 you a definite figure as to the total number of persons arrested. There are cases in court, some have been prosecuted. We have had condemnations on these items. Some of them have fictitious import documents, so you don\u2019t have accurate information concerning the importer.<\/div>\n
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\u201cBut we are making all efforts\u00a0 trying to see that all those that\u00a0 are\u00a0 involved, either directly or remotely, in this activity are brought\u00a0 to\u00a0 book.<\/div>\n
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\u201cWe ask them to cease and desist.\u00a0 It is not the business that will be\u00a0 profitable to them. And of course,\u00a0 the long arm of the law will\u00a0 definitely catch up with them. As\u00a0 you’ve seen, no matter what\u00a0 methods they decide to employ, no matter what\u00a0 strategy they decide\u00a0 to employ, because all agencies\u00a0 are now working in synergy, there’s\u00a0 definitely a brick wall they are\u00a0 going to encounter and they will\u00a0 not succeed and we’re telling them Just stop this business because\u00a0 the waste of time the waste\u00a0 of\u00a0 everybody’s time, waste of money.<\/div>\n
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\u201cAnd of course they are going to\u00a0 pay the ultimate price for it, if they\u00a0 are arrested\u201d.<\/div>\n
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On his part, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu represented by Commodore Kelechi Ogbonna, while expressing satisfaction with the job done so far, explained that the goal of the exercise was to ensure the products do not get into society.<\/div>\n
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He said \u201cThe objectives\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 committee is to identify\u00a0 the\u00a0 locations\u00a0 of\u00a0 these substandard, fake\u00a0 and illicit\u00a0 pharmaceuticals,\u00a0 as well\u00a0 as narcotics, such as tramadol and codeine which serve as substances of abuse and also\u00a0 enhancer for the perpetuation of such nefarious activities as\u00a0 banditry and other terrorist activities.<\/div>\n
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\u201cSo, the committee swung into\u00a0 action immediately and identified\u00a0 Apapa Port, Tinkan Island Port.\u00a0 Onne Port, Calabar Port as well as Lagos and Aminu Kano international airport to have some of these items.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThe aim is for these items not to find their way in any means back to the society. So the NSA is emphatic that these items must be destroyed, because these items, if\u00a0 allowed to get to the society, will\u00a0 pose a\u00a0 lot of health, security risk\u00a0 to Nigerians, and in extension,\u00a0 national security risk.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThe destruction started a few\u00a0 weeks back from Lagos, phase\u00a0 one of Lagos, of which over 70\u00a0 containers were destroyed. Phase\u00a0 two will continue subsequently\u00a0 because Lagos has over a hundred containers of these items.<\/div>\n
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\u201cToday we are beginning with the\u00a0 destruction of the items here in\u00a0 Port Harcourt. Right now we have over 60 containers. So, the idea is\u00a0 to take these things out of the society so that Nigerians will be\u00a0 healthier and also the physical\u00a0 security will be enhanced.<\/div>\n
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\u201cYes, I am very satisfied because\u00a0 the multi -agency approach with\u00a0 the\u00a0 NSA\u00a0 adopted is to show the\u00a0 all of government approach\u00a0 towards curbing such illegalities.<\/div>\n
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\u201cAdditionally, the cooperation from\u00a0 the Lagos State Government and\u00a0 the people of Lagos State as well\u00a0 as the River State Government has\u00a0 indicated that all of society approach which is the mantra of\u00a0 the Federal Government of Nigeria\u00a0 towards curbing and fighting such\u00a0 illegalities in the country\u201d.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Reporter Worried at the proliferation of illicit drugs at the nation:s Seaports, the Nigerian Customs Service in collaboration with the office of the National Security Adviser on Wednesday destroyed about sixty containers containing banned products especially illicit drugs worth over one hundreds billion naira, illegally imported into the country. The items intercepted\u00a0 at the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1959,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[1185,911,1184,1186,1187],"class_list":["post-1958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-law-crime","tag-drugs","tag-illegal","tag-illicit","tag-intercepted","tag-seaports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1958","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1958"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1958\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1960,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1958\/revisions\/1960"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1959"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}