In Sokoto on Wednesday, the Nigerian Customs Service and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) took a significant step in combating smuggling by setting a large quantity of counterfeit goods ablaze.
The Sokoto/Zamfara Controller of Customs, Musa Omale, emphasized that this action aligns with the agency’s mission to suppress smuggling activities.
The Sokoto/Zamfara Area Command, having seized items that were declared unfit for human consumption by NAFDAC, carried out the destruction.
Government officials and leaders from various security agencies, such as the Nigerian Army, NSCDC, and Nigerian Police, were present to witness the disposal at the Kwanawa dumping site in Sokoto State.
Controller Omale, in his welcome speech, highlighted the authority granted by Section 245 of the NCS Act 2023, enabling the Service to seize and dispose of goods contravening Customs and Excise Laws.
Currently, destroying items is a last resort, reserved for illegal goods smuggled without registration after being deemed unfit for consumption by NAFDAC.
Omale sternly cautioned smugglers, emphasizing the harm their actions cause to both the health of Nigerians and the nation’s economy.
He assured that the Customs Service, as the country’s border guardians, would persist in preventing the circulation of harmful and unfit products.
The destroyed goods encompassed various items, including unregistered tomato paste, condensed milk, ginger tea, Maggi, alfakher shisha, and more.
Garba Adamu, the Sokoto State Coordinator of NAFDAC, commended customs officers for their role in helping NAFDAC combat unregistered and potentially hazardous food items and drugs.
He emphasized that any items failing to meet NAFDAC’s scrutiny, registration, or approval are considered unfit for human consumption due to uncertainties in their quality and safety.
