By Innocent Orok
The Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi has banned clearing of pharmaceutical products from bonded terminals. The Customs boss also announced the restriction of importation and clearance of pharmaceutical products to only four terminals of Apapa Port in Lagos, Onne in Rivers State , PTML and Murtala Mohammed Cargo Airport Command in Lagos State.
Adeniyi made the pronouncement during the handing over of 25 Containers of unwholesome pharmaceutical imports sized by the Apapa Customs Command to National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC) on Friday at the Apapa Customs Enforcement Unit .
Adeniyi also informed that the Nigeria Customs is presently reviewing operational licences of all Bonded Terminals to ascertain those that will remain after the review of operational fees which has not been done for ages and those that will be closed down for defaults in terms of agreement and those found to have defaulted the Advance Ruling tool after audit by the Customs Post Clearance Audit.
He also revealed that N1.5bn has been recovered from Bonded Terminals, while another N1.6bn is still being expected from defaulting payments by Bonded terminals.
His words: “Where it is discovered that haulage operators, bonded Terminal owners, or any other trade facilitators are complicit in these illegal activities, such persons or companies will face the full weight of the law.
” Our intelligence network and technological capabilities have been significantly enhanced to detect and intercept prohibited items regardless of concealment methods or documentation subterfuge.”
These seizures has an aggregate Duty-paid value of N9,235,402,973. While handing the 25 containers to NAFDAC , Adeniyi informed that the seizures represents a sophisticated network of criminal enterprise that deliberately exploit regulatory gaps to compromise national health security.
He commended Comptroller Babatunde Olomu and the Apapa Customs operatives at the Apapa port Command, who through their vigilance, professionalism, and dedication to duty, successfully executed these complex interdictions, reflecting the core values of the Customs Service.
