NAFDAC: 35 containers of tramadol seized at ports

The Director-General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Moji Adeyeye, on Sunday said the agency seized not fewer than 35 containers of tramadol at various ports in the country.

She said nine out of the seized containers of tramadol were released to NAFDAC by the Nigeria Custom Service (NCS), and had been destroyed by the agency.

“We are seriously working with the custom on this and each time they seize any container, they usually invite us to come and see the containers with tramadol.

“So far, 35 containers were seized and only nine of them have been handed over to NAFDAC which we have destroyed,” she said.

She, however, decried the delay by Customs in handing over the rest of the containers to NAFDAC.

The NAFDAC boss stated that tramadol was a restricted drug but had been abused by Nigerian youths who use it without prescription.

Adeyeye lauded the present administration for placing an embargo on codeine, which she said, like tramadol, should only be given only by prescription.