NIGERIA CUSTOMS INTERCEPTS 40 CONTAINERS OF TRAMADOL, AIRCRAFT, REJECTS N150M BRIBE – CG

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, retired Col. Hameed Ali, on Thursday said the Apapa command of the service intercepted 40 × 40ft containers of pharmaceutical products with Duty Paid Value of N7.31 billion.
Ali disclosed this while addressing newsmen in Lagos on intercepted pharmaceutical products, including tramadol.
According to him, the service is able to achieve the feat through vigilance and intelligence gathering within the system as well as information from the National Agency for Foods, Drug Administration and Control, a strong ally of the NCS.
He said: “I commend the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye and her management team, for their collaboration in the attainment of the interception.
“It is indeed worrisome to note that there are Nigerians who are ready to make money at the expense of human lives by bringing in such quantity of drugs that have grave consequences on health and national security.
“In the criminal desperation, importers of these items offered bribes to the tune of N150 million to my officers to effect the release of just one 40ft container with promises of even bigger sums to follow in the event that their attempt succeeds.
“The officers played along and eventually arrested three suspects with the money.”
He reiterated that the ongoing interception of Tramadol and other pharmaceutical products with the bribe and the three suspects would be thoroughly investigated, to bring all those remotely connected to justice.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency recently uncovered 340 million Tramadol tablets in 12 containers at the Apapa Port in Lagos.
The tablets, which were in various dosages, ranged from 120 milligrammes to 250 milligrammes, were recovered from 12 containers at the Port.
The Comptroller-General said officers of the Apapa command and the Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, turned down $412,000 worth of bribe money offered them.
Ali said that Apapa command, within the same period, had also seized two aircraft, a helicopter with Registration number SN-BLI which was intended for export, in container number PONU7789246.
He said that it was falsely declared as 388 barges of cashew nuts, adding that the action violated section 36 of the Customs and Excise Management Act, Cap C45, LFN 2004 and investigation was ongoing to fish out the owner.
He explained that the second aircraft, a Cesena 182A imported from the US was declared through SGD NO. C130308.
He said it was seized because of the failure of the owners to present End User Certificate from the office of the National Security Officer and approval from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority.
According to him, this is a contravention of Section 46 of CEMA, Cap C45, LPN 2004.
Ali expressed concern about the importation of tramadol and other illicit items which posed great risk to the security and health of Nigerians.
He said: “We are all aware of the dangers that the deliberate non-compliance with import and export procedures pose to our nation as importers bring in all manner of items which put the security and health of the nation at great risk.
“Terrorists, kidnappers and other criminal elements get hold of these uncustoms goods such as controlled drugs to perpetrate their heinous activities.
“It is worrisome to note that there are Nigerians who are ready to make money at the expense of human lives by bringing in such quantity of drugs that have grave consequences on health and national security.
“The Service is making concerted efforts to ensure that maximum revenue is collected and also to safeguard the security and well-being of the citizenry.
“While the seizures of dangerous drugs and aircraft demonstrate NCS crucial contributions to national economy, security and well-being of Nigerians, the rejection of N150 million bribe presents a picture of a reformed NCS whose operatives are increasingly putting national interest above selves.”
He gave an assurance that investigation was ongoing to bring all those remotely connected to justice.
Ali also commended the Commander, NNS Beecroft Naval Base Apapa, Commodore Eyo as well as Commissioner of Police, Western Marine Command and his men for providing enabling environment.
He, however, commended the Customs Area Controllers of Apapa and the Federal Operation Units Zone ‘A’ as well as officers and men of the commands for their exemplary commitment to duty.
Ali urged the importers to embrace honest declaration to reduce time of cargo clearance and facilitate trade.

NDLEA Intercepts 11 Containers With 241 Million Tramadol Tablets

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency says it has seized 241 million Tramadol tablets in 11 containers, weighing 118 metric tonnes.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency says it has seized 241 million Tramadol tablets in 11 containers, weighing 118 metric tonnes.
Head of Public Affairs of the agency, Jonah Achema, said in a statement on Sunday in Abuja that the seizure was made at the Apapa Port in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that the agency had earlier uncovered 340 million Tramadol tablets in 12 containers on November 15 at the port.
The containers had been on the watch-list of the NDLEA since November 2017.
They were taken to the Nigeria Customs Service for search, based on the agency’s reasonable suspicion that they contained the drug.
Achema said that there were 39 more containers that were lined up for search as the agency strongly suspected that they contained illicit drugs.
He said: “This brings to 581 million Tramadol tablets uncovered within two days of the search. The search is still ongoing. We shall continue tomorrow as well.”
Achema added that the agency would not relent until the country was freed from drug abuse and consumption.

NAFDAF Blocks Entry Of Tramadol Worth N6.4b

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has said that 28 40feet containers suspected to contain tramadol from India has been blocked from entry into the country.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has said that 28 40feet containers suspected to contain tramadol from India has been blocked from entry into the country.
A statement by the NAFDAC Director General, Prof. Moji Adeyeye, stated that this followed a joint examinations of containers at the Apapa Port, Lagos.
She said the inspection was coordinated by the Nigeria Customs Service on November 14 and November 15.
Adeyeye said that the 28 containers were part of the 86 under the agency’s watch list since November 2017.
She noted that the blockage was an outcome of previous communications with the Comptroller General of NCS in September.
She said: “The 23 of the 40ft containers examined so far were loaded with Tramadol of various strengths from 120mg to 250mg.
“Tramadol and other unregistered pharmaceutical products are known to be injurious to the health of the public, most importantly our youth.”
She added that 321,146 cartons of other unregistered pharmaceutical products were equally discovered.
Adeyeye noted that the examined containers consist of 128,922 cartons of high strength of Tramadol (120mg, 200mg, 225mg & 250mg), estimated at N6.4 billion.
She said: “We are pleased that the good working relationship with the NCS, the support received from all it’s commands and other government establishments along the West Coast of Africa has contributed to the success recorded so far.”
According to her, the worth of the tramadol alone on the street is estimated to be at about N1.9 billion on an average cost of N1.5 million per carton.
She said: “Prevention of these dangerous drugs from entering into the Nigerian markets would protect millions of youths from hazards of drug addiction which can pose threat to families, Nigerian workforce and the security of the nation at large.
“Of course this would have increased the number of casualties from insurgency, armed robbery and other social vices which are known to be the aftermath effect of use of illicit drugs.”
Adeyeye said that NAFDAF would work with all other relevant agencies to ensure that Nigeria is not a market for unwholesome pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs.
She expressed NAFDAC’s commitment to ensuring that the health of the public was properly safeguarded at all times and to remain a customer-focused agency.

SLEEP DEPRIVATION: SYMPTOMS, CAUSES AND EFFECTS

 

Sleep deprivation is a general term to describe a state caused by inadequate quantity or quality of sleep, including voluntary or involuntary sleeplessness and circadian rhythm sleep disorders.

Sleep is as important to the human body as food and water, but many of us don’t get enough sleep. Insufficient sleep, inadequate quality of sleep or disruptions to the sleep-wake cycle (such as those that occur with shift work or travelling to a different time zone) have consequences for how we function in the daytime, causing sleepiness and fatigue. 

A sleepy fatigued person is accident prone, judgement impaired and more likely to make mistakes and bad decisions. Staying awake for 24 hours leads to a reduced hand-to-eye coordination that is similar to having a blood alcohol content of 0.1. This is why sleep deprivation contributes to road accidents and work injuries. 

Lack of sleep can also affect a child’s school performance and could be linked to increased risk of emotional problems such as depression.

Symptoms of sleep deprivation in adults

Symptoms of sleep deprivation in adults include:

• Constant yawning

• The tendency to doze off when not active for a while; for example, when watching television

• Grogginess when waking in the morning

• Sleepy grogginess experienced all day long (sleep inertia)

• Poor concentration and mood changes (more irritable).

Symptoms of sleep deprivation in children

Sleep deprivation affects children in different ways to adults. Sleepy children tend to ‘speed up’ rather than slow down. Symptoms include:

• Moodiness and irritability

• Temper tantrums

• The tendency to emotionally ‘explode’ at the slightest provocation

• Over-activity and hyperactive behaviour

• Daytime naps

• Grogginess when they wake up in the morning

•Reluctance to get out of bed in the morning.

Causes of sleep deprivation

Common causes of sleep deprivation include:

Personal choice – some people don’t realise that the body needs adequate sleep. Instead of regularly going to bed at a reasonable hour, they prefer to stay up late to socialise, watch television or read a good book.

Illness – illnesses such as colds and tonsillitis can cause snoring, gagging and frequent waking, and have a direct effect on sleep by fragmenting it.

Work – people who do shift work disrupt their sleep-wake cycles on a regular basis. Frequent travellers (for example, airline crew) also tend to have erratic sleeping patterns.

Sleep disorder – problems such as sleep apnoea, snoring and periodic limb movement disorder can disturb the person’s sleep many times during the night.

Medications – some drugs used to treat disorders such as epilepsy or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can cause insomnia.

The sleeping environment– sleep may be disrupted for a range of environmental reasons; for example, because the bedroom is too hot or cold or because of noisy neighbours or a snoring bed partner.

Poor sleep hygiene – some people’s habits are disruptive; for example, drinking coffee or smoking cigarettes close to bedtime stimulates the nervous system and makes sleep less likely. Another common problem is lying in bed and worrying, rather than relaxing.

Babies, older babies and toddlers – parents almost always experience sleep deprivation because their young children wake frequently in the night for feeding or comfort.

Lack of sleep impairs performance

Let’s say that a person who needs eight hours of sleep per night only gets six. This two-hour sleep loss can have a major impact including:

• Reduced alertness

• Shortened attention span

• Slower than normal reaction time

• Poorer judgement

• Reduced awareness of the environment and situation

• Reduced decision-making skillsPoorer memory

• Reduced concentration

• Increased likelihood of mentally ‘stalling’ or fixating on one thought

• Increased likelihood of moodiness and bad temper

• Reduced work efficiency

• Loss of motivation

• Errors of omission – making a mistake by forgetting to do something

• Errors of commission – making a mistake by doing something, but choosing the wrong option

• Microsleep – brief periods of involuntary sleeping that range from a few seconds to a few minutes in duration.

Effects of sleep loss on children

Selected statistics from research studies into sleep loss and its effects on children and teenagers include:

Sleep loss causes a range of schooling problems, including naughtiness and poor concentration.

Chronically sleep-deprived teenagers are more likely to have problems with impulse control, which leads to risk-taking behaviours.

Sleep problems in teenagers are associated with increased risk of disorders such as depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

High school students who regularly score C, D or F in school tests and assignments get, on average, half an hour less sleep per night than high school students who regularly get A and B grades.

Later start times at school result in reduced daytime sleepiness, higher grades and reduced negative feelings.

How much sleep is enough?

Sleep requirements differ from one person to the next depending on age, physical activity levels, general health and other individual factors. 
In general:

Primary school children – need about nine to 10 hours. Studies show that increasing your child’s sleep by as little as half an hour can dramatically improve school performance.

Teenagers – need about nine to 10 hours too. Teenagers have an increased sleep requirement at the time when social engagements and peer pressure cause a reduction in sleep time. Lifestyle factors such as early school start times deprive them of the required sleep-in. There is evidence that around the time of becoming a teenager, there is a shift in the sleep-wake cycle to being sleepy later in the evening with a preference for waking later.

Adults – need about eight hours, depending on individual factors. We tend to need less sleep as we age, but be guided by your own state of alertness – if you feel tired during the day, aim to get more sleep.

Sleep suggestions

Suggestions on how to get more sleep include:

• Purposefully go to bed earlier each night.

• Don’t smoke or drink alcoholic or caffeinated beverages in the hours before bedtime.

• Improve your sleeping environment in any way you can – for example, keep it dark and sound-proof, turn off lights and wear earplugs if you have noisy neighbours.

• Don’t have any distractions in the bedroom such as TV or a computer. 

• Use relaxation techniques to help you fall asleep quickly.

• Seek professional assistance for sleep disorders such as snoring.

• Browse through the Better Health Channel fact sheets on sleep to find ways to improve sleeping habits for you and your baby or child.

Where to get help

Your physician

Sleep disorder clinic

Things to remember

Not enough sleep or disruptions to the sleep-wake cycle (such as those that may occur with shift work or travelling to a different time zone) cause the physiological state known as fatigue.

Staying awake for 24 hours leads to a reduced hand-to-eye coordination that is similar to having a blood alcohol content of 0.1.

Sleep deprivation affects children in different ways to adults – sleepy children tend to ‘rev up’ rather than slow down.