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Customs intercepts 12 containers of Tramadol, cutlasses at Apapa ports

Published

2 years ago

August 16, 2024

Customs intercepts 12 containers of Tramadol, cutlasses at Apapa ports

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The Apapa Port Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 12 containers laden with Tramadol, expired drugs and 27, 540 pieces of cutlasses and machetes with duty paid value of N1.8 billion.

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, disclosed this while unveiling the contraband in Lagos on Thursday.

Adeniyi explained that the expired pharmaceutical products were imported without undergoing the necessary regulatory requirements.

He added that some of the drugs did not obtain a National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) numbers.

“We also have containers that were seized due to false declarations, ostensibly to evade duty payments, which amount to smuggling.

“In total, 12 containers have been seized with duty paid value worth N1.8bilion.

“These importations are in flagrant violation of Section 233 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act (NCSA) 2023.

“One of the seized containers, a 40ft container with box number SEGU4339917, was declared to contain baclofen tablets, metoprolol succinate, atenolol gloves, losartan potassium, hydrochlorothiazide, atorvastatin calcium, esomeprazole magnesium and diclofenac sodium topical gel, among others.

“Upon examination, the container was found to be laden with daily health immune supplements that expired in July this year; acyclovir capsules have expired in April 2024; valsartan tablets (320mg and 160mg) have expired in June 2024; prednisone tablets (USP 10mg) have expired in June 2024.

“Also losartan potassium tablets (100mg) that expired in June 2024; major aspirin low-dose pain reliever (81mg) that expired in June 2024; vitamin D supplements that expired in June 2024 and magnesium oxide tablets (420mg) that expired in June 2024.

“The 40ft container also contained diclofenac sodium topical gel expiring in November 2024; oral rehydration solution mix that expired in July 2024; unimap multiple micronutrient supplements, expiring in December 2025 and other regulated medical items,” Adeniyi said.

He said that in the examined container, as in many others seized by the Apapa Customs Command the expired and unexpired medicaments, did not carry the required NAFDAC number.

Adeniyi said that another 20ft container with expired pharmaceutical products, was found to contain cartons of Royal Tramadol (225mg) concealed with expired cartons of analgesic, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory tablets without a NAFDAC number.

The customs boss said that a 20ft container was also found to contain rolls of Tramadol (225mg) concealed with expired cartons of Zokomol and Diclofenac pharmaceutical products without a NAFDAC registration number.

He confirmed that another 20ft container was found contained cartons of tramadol (100mg) concealed with expired cartons of pharmaceutical products without a NAFDAC number.

“A 40ft container was found to contain cartons of codeine concealed with cartons of expired pharmaceutical products and cartons of brushes.

“Another 40ft container was found to contain cartons of codeine and tramadol concealed with expired Diacare antidiarrheal and pain reliever pharmaceutical products without a NAFDAC number.

“Similarly a 40ft container was found to contain cartons of expired pharmaceutical products without a NAFDAC registration number.

“In addition to the pharmaceutical products, there were two 40ft containers with 15,540 and 12,000 pieces of cutlasses and machetes.

“A total of 27,540 pieces of cutlasses and machetes were contained in the two containers,” he said.

Adeniyi commended the Apapa Customs Area Controller, Mr Babatunde Olomu, and the officers for the anti-smuggling exploit.

According to him, the Apapa Command handles the highest volume of trade for the NCS, collects the highest revenue, and therefore saddled with a higher degree of expectation from the management of the Service and the government.

He urged them to maintain the level of performance as he advised port users to embrace only legitimate trade.

He restated that the NCS, under his leadership, was fully committed to its responsibilities in detecting all forms of concealment.

The customs boss said the Service remained dedicated to ensuring that any import consignment or export cargo transiting through the ports under customs control was thoroughly checked using our non-intrusive (scanning) measures and physical examinations.

Adeniyi reiterated that the Service would not sacrifice the health and security of Nigerians and everyone living in the country on the altar of trade facilitation.

He said that customs officers were living up to expectations by executing the mandate to the fullest.

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Six missing as boat carrying 70 Benue mourners capsizes

Published

2 hours ago

October 3, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

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Six mourners are reportedly missing after a boat carrying more 70 people capsized on the Buruku River in Buruku Local Government Area of Benue State on Saturday.

The incident reportedly occurred around 11am as the mourners, who were from neighbouring Gboko Local Government Area, were returning from a burial ceremony.

The Chairman of Buruku Local Government Area, Raymond Zege, confirmed the incident, saying the boat’s engine reportedly developed a fault while it was on the river.
According to him, the occupants struggled to manoeuvre the boat and remain afloat before another boat arrived to rescue them.
He said the boat was overloaded and the occupants reportedly panicked as they encountered water waves, causing the vessel to sink.

Zege said, “There are over 70 people on board but we have not seen about six persons.”

The chairman also expressed concern over compliance with safety measures among commuters using the river crossing, noting that authorities had provided life jackets but enforcement had been difficult because some passengers complained that wearing them was uncomfortable.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Marine and Blue Economy, Denis Iyaghigba, said preliminary reports indicated that a strong water current swept the boat into an abandoned barge at a corner of the river, causing it to overturn.

Iyaghigba urged families and members of the public to remain calm while authorities continued efforts to establish the facts and locate those still missing.

He said he had directed boat operators and their union downstream to mobilise and support the ongoing search and rescue operation.

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Tragedy as RCCG pastor collapses, dies during sermon at funeral in Rivers

Published

3 hours ago

October 3, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

Deacon Steve Eyo

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A funeral ceremony in Aleto, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, reportedly turned tragic on Friday after a pastor collapsed and died while delivering a sermon on the certainty of death.

The cleric was identified as Deacon Steve Eyo, the Resident Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Aleto.

He was preaching before more than 300 mourners when he suddenly collapsed as he was concluding his message.

Eyo’s sermon was titled “The Certainty of Death and Hope Beyond.”

According to eyewitness accounts cited by multiple local news outlets, he began preaching at about 1:10 p.m., speaking about the inevitability of death and urging those present to live their lives with the awareness that nobody knows when death will come.

In illustrating his message, the pastor reportedly compared life to going to the market, explaining that some people leave early while others remain until later, just as some people die young while others live longer.

About 15 minutes into the sermon, at approximately 1:25 p.m., Eyo reportedly collapsed while rounding off his message.

His sudden fall initially confused some mourners, with eyewitnesses saying some thought the pastor was demonstrating the suddenness of death as part of his sermon.

The situation quickly became clear, however, as church ministers, choir members and others rushed to his aid.

People at the scene reportedly prayed for him while individuals with medical knowledge attempted to administer first aid.

He was subsequently taken to a nearby medical facility in the same ambulance that had been hired to convey the remains of the deceased person whose burial was taking place.

He was reportedly confirmed dead at the hospital, after which his remains were taken to a mortuary.

The circumstances surrounding Eyo’s death have not been publicly established in the reports reviewed, and no specific medical cause of death was disclosed.

However, the timing of the incident has left mourners and members of the Aleto community deeply shocked because of the subject of his final sermon.

According to eyewitness accounts, Eyo had urged the congregation to “number your days and prepare, for it can happen anytime” shortly before he collapsed.

The incident transformed what had begun as a solemn farewell for one deceased person into another moment of mourning, as attendees were confronted with the sudden death of the minister delivering the funeral sermon.p pm

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Fulani Militia leader linked to Christian killings arrested in Plateau

Published

6 hours ago

October 3, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

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Mahmoud Adam, a suspected militant allegedly linked to deadly attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, has reportedly been arrested in Plateau State.

The arrest was disclosed in an exclusive report published on Friday by the US-based Daily Caller, which identified Adam as an alleged secret leader of the Fulani Ethnic Militia (FEM) operating in Plateau State and surrounding parts of the Middle Belt.

According to the report, Adam was arrested in the early hours of September 12 at his compound in Plateau State, where he was known as a prominent Fulani community leader.

A former US intelligence officer with expertise in Islamist terrorism reportedly confirmed Adam’s alleged role in FEM, while Nigerian journalist Masara Kim of Truth Nigeria was also cited as having reported evidence allegedly linking him to deadly attacks in Plateau State.

The Daily Caller said information from a whistleblower indicated that Adam had previously established contacts with senior Nigerian military figures and had allegedly received high-value gifts from military officers.

The report also alleged that a serving senator had intervened in 2024 to secure Adam’s release following an earlier arrest.

The senator, Shehu Buba, has previously denied allegations of links to criminal networks. Separate reports said photographs showing Buba and Adam together have emerged, prompting calls for further investigation.

The Daily Caller reported that Adam was previously released from custody several days after his 2024 arrest following the alleged intervention.

Photographs cited by the publication reportedly show Adam meeting a Nigerian major general in 2023. According to the account accompanying the photographs, the military officer handed over five motorcycles to Adam and associates as part of efforts described as aimed at restoring peace in Plateau State.

The latest arrest comes amid renewed security concerns in Plateau State, where several communities have experienced deadly attacks in recent weeks. Local reports have linked some of the violence to armed groups, although attribution for individual attacks remains subject to confirmation by security authorities.

Reports of Adam’s arrest have also generated reactions in the United States. US Representative Riley Moore welcomed the reported arrest, describing it as evidence of increased US-Nigeria security cooperation, while the circumstances surrounding the allegations against Adam remain subject to official investigation and clarification.

As of the latest reports, the Nigerian security agencies had not publicly released a detailed statement outlining the charges against Adam or the evidence being relied upon in the investigation.