The South Korean ministry of food
and drug safety has cautioned Nigerians against the use of drugs imported from
China, as they may contain human remains.
The ministry issued this warning
in a memo dated October 12 and directed to the Nigeria Intelligence Agency
(NIA) and other agencies including the ministry of health, the National Agency
for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), The National Drug Law
Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The Nigeria Customs Service
(NCS), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and the national security
adviser (NSA) also received the memo.
According to the memo, South
Korean customs service intercepted 2,751 drugs containing human remains
imported into the country by some suspected Chinese nationals.
The drugs are alleged to boost
stamina and cure diseases including cancer and diabetes.
The memo said the South Korean
ministry discovered the drugs to contain millions of viruses which could prove
harmful to human health.
It therefore called on the NIA
and the other agencies in the country to warn Nigerians to be mindful of drugs
imported from China.
The agency also called the
attention of mail delivery services in Nigeria to be at alert and monitor
cargoes with drugs coming into the country.
“The South Korean Customs
Service, on 30’” September, 2018, revealed that it had seized two thousand,
seven hundred and fifty-one (2,751) Chinese drugs/capsules, containing human
remains from foetuses, infants and flesh imported into the country by some
Chinese nationals,” the memo read.
“The manufacturers claimed that
the drugs/capsules can boost stamina, cure cancer, diabetes and some other
terminal diseases. The capsules were smuggled in suitcases and through
international market.
“South Korean Ministry of Food
and Drug safety indicated that eighteen billion, seven hundred million (18.7
million) viruses, including hepatitis B virus, were found in the capsules.
“It stressed that the making of
the human remain drugs and consuming them are crimes against humanity, which
can also lead to serious health challenges.
“The Agency is monitoring the
situation for detailed information. However, it is Important for all relevant
health regulatory agenc1es In Nigeria, especially the Federal Ministry of
Health, NAFDAC, NDLEA and SON, to sensitise Nigerians of this development and
warn them of the inherent dangers of patronizing drugs imported from China.
“The Customs Service, NIPOST and
other mail delivery services, should also step up monitoring of cargoes and
packages with drugs imported into Nigeria.”
When contacted NAFDAC, Abubakar
Jimoh, its spokesman, confirmed that the agency is in receipt of the memo.
Jimoh, however, said there was no
cause for alarm as all relevant departments were at alert.
He added that NAFDAC was on top
of the situation, while urging Nigerians not to panic.
“First and foremost, we are in
receipt of the letter from the NIA. The director general, professor Christiana
Moji Adeyeye, has given an instruction, a marching order to the director of
ports inspection, to the director of pharmacovigilance and post market
surveillance, to the director of investigation a and enforcement,” Jimoh said.
“These are the three major
directorates in NAFDAC. They are in charge of policing the environment. The
ports director is to police all the points of entries to ensure that nothing
comes in. The post marketing surveillance, in case by chance, anything comes
in, they are the ones combing the market. The investigation is to get ready and
arrest anybody who happens to be involved.
“So, this is the modus operandi.
It is not just about this alert, every other alert, whether we get it from NIA
or from ordinary Nigerians. This is not the first time we are getting such
either from the NSA’s office or the NIA or at times, the SGF. So, all
government agencies concerned are involved in this.”
When reached out to, John Achema,
NDLEA spokesman said the agency is only concerned with illicit drugs.
Achema said he could not confirm
if NDLEA received the memo.
Efforts to reach Joseph Attah,
NCS spokesman, proved abortive as he did not pick calls.
This is not the first time that
the east Asian country is raising alarm on such drugs. In 2012, South Korean
custom officials said they discovered thousands of pills filled with powdered
human flesh imported into the country from China.
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