The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), in collaboration with the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), incinerated expired, fake, and other substandard regulated products valued at millions of naira on Wednesday in Sokoto.

The controller of customs for Sokoto/Kebbi area command, Mr Musa Omale, also said the items were seized in 2023 and this year at various locations in the area command.

He said the Nigerian customs service would continue to ensure effective patrol of borders in the two states to ensure that counterfeit and other contraband were not imported into the country.

The state coordinator of the agency, Adamu Garba, while addressing sister security agencies at the public destruction, said the destruction of the expired drugs would eliminate the risk of their reintroduction into the Nigerian market and a proof of NAFDAC’s resolve to safeguard the health of the nation by ensuring that only genuine medicines and wholesome foods of the right quality are imported and manufactured in the country.

He praised the Nigerian Customs Service for making several seizures of controlled and banned narcotics and counterfeit and fake products being distributed by some unscrupulous elements and causing harm to Nigerian citizens.

He reiterated that drug counterfeiting is an act of economic sabotage and also represents a serious threat to public health.

According to him, “the present management of NAFDAC has taken a proactive approach towards tackling this challenge by engaging political, traditional, and religious leaders in sensitising their subjects to desist from the harmful practice.”

The drugs seized and burned include antibiotics, banned drugs, and non-alcoholic beverages.

He expressed gratitude to other law enforcement agencies in the state and various groups and unions for their collaborations and synergies.

He urged consumers to be watchful of the drugs, foods, and regulated products they purchase and not hesitate to report any suspicious activities relating to the products in their neighbourhood to the nearest NAFDAC office.

The event was attended by the Army, the police, NSCDC, NDLEA, NIS, and other officials of the Nigerian customs service.