The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘D’, Bauchi, has intercepted 718 pieces of donkey skins valued at over ₦24 million in Mubi, Adamawa State, as part of intensified efforts to curb illegal wildlife trade.
The Comptroller of Customs in charge of the unit, Mr Abdullahi Ka’ila, disclosed this at a press briefing on Tuesday in Bauchi. He said the seizure followed actionable intelligence and coordinated enforcement operations carried out on December 26.
According to Ka’ila, a vehicle conveying the prohibited items was intercepted, while the driver and owner of the consignment were arrested for violating extant trade and environmental regulations.
He noted that the export and trade of donkey skins are prohibited under Nigerian law, in line with regulations enforced by agencies such as the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) and the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS).
The comptroller added that the seizure also reinforced Nigeria’s obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), aimed at preventing the exploitation and extinction of endangered species through cross-border trade.
Ka’ila said investigations were ongoing and that the suspects would be prosecuted under the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and other relevant environmental laws.
He emphasised that the operation aligned with the zero-tolerance policy against smuggling championed by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, warning that illegal wildlife trade poses serious risks to biodiversity, rural livelihoods and national economic security.
“The Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘D’ remains committed to enforcing trade and conservation laws. Nigeria will not serve as a transit route for wildlife-related crimes,” he said.
FOU Zone ‘D’ oversees Customs operations across Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Benue, Gombe, Taraba, Plateau, Nasarawa and Yobe states.
