The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone B, Kaduna, has seized a large quantity of donkey bones and skins with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦3.94 billion. The seized items were formally handed over to the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) at a ceremony in Kaduna.
The Comptroller of the FOU Zone B, Aminu Sule, stated that the seizure, which included 700 bags of donkey bones valued at ₦1.86 billion and 2,500 pieces of donkey skins valued at ₦2.07 billion, was a result of intensified anti-smuggling operations. He condemned the illegal trade in donkey parts, emphasizing that it poses serious ecological and socio-economic threats to rural communities where donkeys are vital for livelihoods and transportation.
Sule highlighted that the operation was part of the NCS’s commitment to enforcing environmental protection laws and curbing wildlife crimes. He noted that the successful handover of the exhibits to NESREA was a demonstration of the improved inter-agency cooperation being championed by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi.
Hene Emmanuel, the Kaduna State Coordinator for NESREA, who received the exhibits, commended the Customs Service for its vigilance and partnership. He reaffirmed NESREA’s commitment to ensuring proper environmental compliance and the protection of endangered species in Nigeria.
This seizure is one of several similar interceptions made by the NCS in recent months, underscoring the ongoing efforts to combat the illegal wildlife trade. The actions are in line with Nigeria’s obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
