The Nigeria Customs Service, Sokoto/Zamfara Area Command, has executed the destruction of smuggled items certified by the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) as unfit for human consumption.
This information is outlined in a press statement signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Customs Abdullahi Tsafe, on 24 January 2024.
According to the statement, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Musa Omale, emphasized that “Section 245 of NCS Act 2023 empowers the Service to seize goods that contravene Customs and Excise Laws and dispose of them as directed by the Service.”
The items destroyed include unregistered Tomato Paste, Condensed Milk, Alfakher Shisha, Ginger Tea, Maggi, and others.
According to the statement, “the destruction, which took place at Kwanawa Dumping Site, Sokoto State, was witnessed by Heads of Security Agencies and Government officials.”
“Disposal of items by destruction, as witnessed today, is carried out as a last resort. These are unregistered smuggled items that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) certified as unfit for human consumption,” the statement read.
While sending a clear message to smugglers, the CAC warned them to desist from the dastardly act, which is detrimental to the health of Nigerians, the economy, and the country’s overall development.
He reiterated that the gatekeeper of the nation’s borders, the Nigeria Customs Service, will not relent to ensure that goods unhealthy for human consumption and injurious to the economy do not see the light of day.
In his response, the Sokoto State Coordinator of NAFDAC, Alh. Garba Abubakar Adamu commended the Service for assisting NAFDAC in the fight against unregistered food items and drugs.
“Any food items or drugs that did not pass through NAFDAC’s scrutiny, registration, and approval are deemed unfit for human consumption as their quality and safety are not guaranteed,” he noted.