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By Innocent Orok
The Federal Operations Unit, ( FOU), Zone ‘C’ of the Nigeria Customs Service has seized fake and contraband products worth over N120 million between July and August 2021.
According to a press statement issued by DSC Jerry Attah , Public Relations Officer of the Unit Comptroller Yusuf Lawal Psc+ who announced this on Monday listed the goods intercepted by the Unit to include 130 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice valued at N5,460,000 and 2,181 cartons of foreign cosmetic products without registration number from the National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) valued at N76,335,000. The product was intercepted along the Okada/ Benin expressway.
According to Comptroller Lawal, the cosmetic products includes 457 cartons of Simple Sensitive Skin Expert; 790 cartons of Facial Wash, 232 cartons of Carotone Cream, 574 cartons of various brands of cosmetics and 128 cartons of Revlon Almay Godess Gloss.
Other seized items are 440 cartons of Artesunate injection zensunate without NAFDAC number worth N8,580,000 that was intercepted along the Okada – Benin expressway, 449 cartons of fan pop sweets worth N7, 485,000m intercepted along the Lagos – Benin expressway and 161 jumbo bales of used clothing valued at N22,500,000m that were intercepted along the Enugu- Port -Hacourt expressway.
Comptroller Lawal who urged Nigerians to be wary of fake and smuggled products warned that such products are not only hazardous to human health, but also to the economy of Nigeria.
He added that his Officers and Men are fully prepared and equipped to combat all nefarious activities of smugglers especially with the festive ember months by the corner.
He thanked sister agencies as well as the media and the Comptroller-General, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali for their hollistic support to the Service and pledged to continously checkmate the activities of smugglers in line with his constitutional mandate so as to reduce smuggling in the zone to its barest minimum.
Lawal said “We urge Nigerians to always confirm the quality of a product before purchasing it for use, because so many medicinal and cosmetic products are being smuggled into the country without NAFDAC numbers.
” Those who use non NAFDAC certified cosmetic products stands the risk of skin cancer just as those who consume antimalaria drugs without NAFDAC number are only experimenting with their lives.
” Our Officers and Men are fully prepared to face smugglers head-on especially during the ember months in line with our mandate ; we will leave no stone unturned”, he warned.
Lawal further said that the importation of foreign rice is against Federal Government’s agricultural policies and warned that smugglers will never have a field day in the zone.
He urged Nigerians to cooperate with the Service as it continues to block all leakages, thwart antics of smugglers and sanitize the country irrespective of whose ox is gored.
