The Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 13 containers of expired drugs, food items and restricted security equipment worth N6.38 billion at Apapa Port in Lagos.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, disclosed this on Tuesday during a press briefing at APM Terminals, Apapa, Lagos.
Adeniyi said the seizures followed intensified intelligence-led enforcement operations, including the deployment of scanning technology and targeted physical examination of suspicious consignments at the port.
He explained that the operation uncovered a wide range of prohibited, expired and falsely declared goods, including pharmaceuticals, codeine-based products, expired food items, restricted security equipment and cannabis concealed in imported cargo.
What they are saying
Adeniyi said the seized consignments pose a significant threat to public health and national security, particularly due to the presence of expired pharmaceuticals and controlled substances concealed in imported goods.
According to him, smugglers deliberately concealed some of the items inside everyday household goods and sanitary ware in an attempt to evade detection by customs officials.
- “The importation of expired drugs and controlled substances poses a direct threat to public health,” Adeniyi said.
He added that the concealment of codeine-based products was a calculated attempt to fuel substance abuse and undermine Nigeria’s healthcare system.
More insights
The seizures involved a wide range of prohibited and restricted goods uncovered during the inspection of multiple containers at the port.
- Among the items intercepted were expired pharmaceutical products, including Mixagrip Cold Caplets, Ladinax tablets, chloroquine injections and diclofenac tablets.
- Customs officers also seized large consignments of Hyegra 200, Sildenafil Citrate and 800 cartons of codeine, which were concealed inside toilet cisterns and sanitary ware.
- Other medical items discovered during the operation included cartons of Artesunate injections.
- In addition to drugs, officers uncovered restricted security equipment, including bulletproof vests, helmets, walkie-talkies and tactical torches.
Expired food products were also discovered in the containers, including muffin cookie biscuits and 36,000 cans of expired Primo energy drinks, alongside containers of St. Kelvin and De Truth tomato paste.
- Further inspection revealed 1,700 cartons of codeine cough syrup concealed with luxury food flasks, while another container carried 1,575 cartons of CSMIX with codeine hidden among cartons of electric kettles.
- Officers also intercepted 13 jumbo bags of Cannabis Sativa weighing 347.57 kilogrammes, which were concealed inside a Toyota Sienna vehicle.
- Adeniyi stressed that the service had strengthened enforcement operations at Apapa Port and warned smugglers against using the port as a gateway for illegal trade.
“Let me state clearly that Apapa Port is no longer a playground for smugglers hiding behind legitimate trade documentation,” he warned.
What you should know
There has been an intensified effort by various Nigerian government agencies to clamp down on illicit drugs and other prohibited items entering the country through ports and border routes.
- On March 4, Nairametrics reported that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested Uzoma Valentine Ilomuanya, a fugitive drug lord who had been on the wanted list of Nigerian and British authorities for more than 15 years.
- Earlier today, Nairametrics also reported that the Nigeria Customs Service seized 248,500 tablets of Tramadol Hydrochloride valued at N273.4 million during an intelligence-driven anti-smuggling operation in Yobe State.
Between November 19 and 20, 2025, NDLEA recovered tramadol pills and codeine syrups worth about N6.7 billion during a sting operation that dismantled a major opioid cartel operating from a residential estate in the Isolo area of Lagos.
