By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Sokoto/Zamfara Area Command, has intercepted unregistered pharmaceutical products and other smuggled goods with a cumulative Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N721.96 million in a renewed effort to protect public health.
Haliru Abdullahi, Acting Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller of Customs, disclosed this during a press briefing at the Command’s Headquarters in Sokoto on Thursday, 15 October, 2026.
Abdullahi said the seizure of unregulated drugs underscores the danger smuggling poses to the health and safety of Nigerians. The intercepted pharmaceuticals include 100 packages of quinine, 500 packages of amodiaquine, 140 packages of paracetamol, 300 packages of anti-cold medication, one carton of analgesic injections, two cartons of Dynewell syrup, one carton of Dynewell! tablets and one carton of Clear Cold medication. He warned that unregistered medicines, when consumed, pose serious risks to public health, adding that the command would not relent in preventing their circulation.
“The Command will sustain its anti-smuggling operations to prevent illegal trade and protect the health and economic interests of Nigerians,” he said.
Abdullahi noted that the operation was carried out despite security challenges in parts of Sokoto and Zamfara states, attributing the success to sustained surveillance by officers and men of the Command.
Other items intercepted alongside the drugs include 599 bales of second-hand clothing, seven sacks of second-hand women’s bags, 43 cartons of cigarettes, and seven cartons of Akouna coffee. A used DAF truck with registration number JEG 199 XA used in conveying the items was also seized. He said the seizures were made pursuant to Sections 245 and 248 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, which empower the Service to seize and condemn goods liable to forfeiture.
He urged members of the public to provide credible intelligence to support the fight against smuggling and reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to suppressing smuggling, facilitating legitimate trade and boosting revenue, while thanking Adewale Adeniyi Comptroller-General of Customs, sister security agencies and the media for their support.
