NAFDAC Seizes Three Tankers of Smuggled Vegetable Oil, 4,000 Cartons of Soap, Arrests Five Suspects
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has seized three tanker loads of smuggled vegetable oil and over 4,000 cartons of imported soap, as part of intensified efforts to curb the influx of banned and unregulated products into Nigeria through the land borders.
Five suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures following the interception of the consignments at about 10 p.m. on Thursday along the Seme-Idiroko border axis. The suspects are reportedly Ghanaian nationals.
Speaking with journalists on Friday at the NAFDAC laboratory in Oshodi, Lagos, the Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Dr Martins Iluyomade, said the agency intercepted the tankers and truck during a renewed border surveillance operation aimed at combating the smuggling of counterfeit medicines, fake foods and other prohibited products into the country.
According to him, NAFDAC has intensified patrols along Nigeria’s land borders, conducting surveillance both during the day and at night to strengthen enforcement activities.
“We intercepted these tankers and truck around 10 p.m. last night (Thursday). They were coming from Ghana and had Ghanaian number plates which had been deliberately covered to conceal their identity and origin. They claimed to be carrying vegetable oil, which is a banned import, and that raised our suspicion,” he said.
Dr Iluyomade explained that the vehicles were trailed, intercepted and subsequently moved to the agency’s facility for examination and further investigation.
The enforcement director added that each of the three tankers was carrying approximately 66,000 litres of vegetable oil, with the total value running into several hundreds of millions of naira.
He disclosed that the agency also seized a truckload of imported soap, another product prohibited from entering Nigeria through importation.
“This truck is carrying banned soaps. Soap is banned for importation into Nigeria and this consignment also came through the land borders. The total quantity is over 4,000 cartons with an estimated value exceeding N500 million,” he stated.
He said the operation formed part of NAFDAC’s broader mandate to sanitise the country’s supply chain and prevent the entry of products that have not undergone the agency’s regulatory scrutiny.
“It is not going to be business as usual. There are products that the Federal Government believes can be produced locally, creating jobs and supporting local industries. Such products are therefore restricted from importation,” he said.
Dr Iluyomade warned that smuggled products pose significant risks because they bypass regulatory checks and certification processes designed to ensure quality and safety.
He noted that locally manufactured products approved by NAFDAC are subjected to inspection and certification procedures, unlike smuggled goods whose contents and safety standards cannot be readily verified.
The agency said investigations into the seized consignments and the suspects are ongoing, while laboratory analysis would be conducted to determine the exact contents and safety status of the products.
