About 58 containers of tramadol and other prohibited drugs valued at N14.7bn were on Wednesday destroyed in Sagamu, Ogun State.
The destruction was carried out by a committee made up of representatives of the Nigeria Customs Service, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency and others.
The Comptroller General of the NCS, Col Hameed Ali (retd), said the seized drugs were intercepted at various Customs formations across the country.
He spoke through the Zonal Coordinator of Zone A, Kathleen Ekekezie, during the burning of the drugs.
Ekekezie in his statement said that the menace of such drugs in the society cannot be underestimated. Having caused huge negative impact both on the economy and human lives, it is imperative that the drugs should be swiftly curtailed.
He also called on all and sundry to assist officers and other relevant agencies by providing real time information at all times to help fish out the perpetrators of the negative act of smuggling dangerous drugs.
The Assistant Comptroller General of Customs in charge of Enforcement and Drugs, Aminu Dahiru, said the idea of forming a team came from Ali who had stressed the need for synergy between government agencies aiding Customs in the fight against importation of dangerous drugs.
Dahiru, who is the Chairman, Joint Committee on Destruction of Seized Tramadol and other Pharmaceutical Products, said the seizure was in line with the Federal Government’s vision to rid Nigeria of dangerous drugs.
He added that the seizure had helped in stemming the spate of kidnapping, armed robbery, terrorism and other social vices.
He said over 50 per cent of drugs seized in the country were confiscated in the South-West.
According to Dahiru, the destruction will continue in Kaduna, Port Harcourt and Bauchi in the next two weeks.
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