The Nigeria Customs Service, Sokoto/Zamfara Area Command, has
executed the destruction of smuggled items certified by the National Agency for
Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) as unfit for human
consumption.
This information is outlined in a press statement signed by
the Command's Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Customs Abdullahi
Tsafe, on 24 January 2024.
According to the statement, the Customs Area Controller,
Comptroller Musa Omale, emphasized that “Section 245 of NCS Act 2023 empowers
the Service to seize goods that contravene Customs and Excise Laws and dispose
of them as directed by the Service.”
The items destroyed include unregistered Tomato Paste,
Condensed Milk, Alfakher Shisha, Ginger Tea, Maggi, and others.
According to the statement, “the destruction, which took
place at Kwanawa Dumping Site, Sokoto State, was witnessed by Heads of Security
Agencies and Government officials.”
“Disposal of items by destruction, as witnessed today, is
carried out as a last resort. These are unregistered smuggled items that the
National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) certified
as unfit for human consumption,” the statement read.
While sending a clear message to smugglers, the CAC warned
them to desist from the dastardly act, which is detrimental to the health of
Nigerians, the economy, and the country's overall development.
He reiterated that the gatekeeper of the nation’s borders,
the Nigeria Customs Service, will not relent to ensure that goods unhealthy for
human consumption and injurious to the economy do not see the light of day.
In his response, the Sokoto State Coordinator of NAFDAC, Alh.
Garba Abubakar Adamu commended the Service for assisting NAFDAC in the fight
against unregistered food items and drugs.
“Any food items or drugs that did not pass through NAFDAC's scrutiny, registration, and approval are deemed unfit for human consumption as their quality and safety are not guaranteed,” he noted.
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