NAFDAC destroys N91m worth of tramadol tablets seized in Kano

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has destroyed 491,000 tablets of Tramadol, valued at N91 million, in Kano State.

The banned drugs, seized by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Kano/Jigawa Area Command, were incinerated on Wednesday in a destruction exercise witnessed by key stakeholders and the media. NAFDAC’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Dr. Martins Iluyomade, represented the agency’s Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, at the event.

Prof. Adeyeye commended the Customs Service for intercepting the illicit consignment, noting that the seizure was made on May 28, 2025, under the leadership of Comptroller Abubakar Zurmi. According to her, the consignment consisted of 491 rolls of Tramadol 225mg tablets—each roll containing 10 x 10 x 10 tablets.

“The perpetrators abandoned the consignment when Customs operatives closed in on them,” she said.

She emphasized that the destruction was carried out in line with international best practices and was part of NAFDAC’s efforts to eliminate the circulation of dangerous pharmaceutical products. The agency used an incinerator at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) for the exercise, which was also witnessed by NAFDAC’s Kano Zonal Coordinator, Kasim Ibrahim, and a representative of AKTH’s Chief Medical Director.

The NAFDAC boss praised the growing inter-agency cooperation between NAFDAC and the Customs Service, describing it as a strategic partnership vital to curbing drug trafficking in Nigeria.

She reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to protecting public health and called on Nigerians to report any suspicious drug-related activities to the nearest NAFDAC office.