Customs Seize N150m Worth of Tramadol in Kano Operation

The Nigeria Customs Service, Kano/Jigawa Command, on Monday handed over 491,000 seized Tramadol hydrochloride tablets—valued at over N150 million—to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Kano.

Area Comptroller Dalhatu Abubakar said the seizure followed an intelligence-led operation and reflects the Command’s commitment to combating illicit drug trafficking.

“This seizure underscores our determination to rid society of harmful drugs. We must ask, who are these drugs meant for?” Abubakar questioned, highlighting the serious social consequences of drug abuse including links to crime, violence, homelessness, and health deterioration.

He urged religious and traditional leaders, civil society, government bodies, and the media to intensify awareness campaigns against drug abuse, particularly noting the concerning trend that one in every four drug users in Nigeria is a woman—highlighting the crisis’s gender dimension.

Citing United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) data, Abubakar said Nigeria’s population of 236.8 million includes about three million drug users in the North-West zone alone.

NAFDAC Kano State Coordinator, Mr. Kasim Idrissa, commended the Customs Service for its vigilance and pledged to strengthen inter-agency collaboration to tackle the drug menace