The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reaffirmed its determination to block the country from being used as a route for illegal wildlife trade following the interception of hundreds of prohibited donkey skins in Adamawa State.
The Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘D’, Bauchi on Thursday, said it seized 718 pieces of donkey skins with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of over N24 million in Mubi on 26 December 2025.
The Comptroller of the unit, Abdullahi Ka’ila, disclosed this on Tuesday during a press briefing in Bauchi.
Ka’ila explained that the seizure was the outcome of actionable intelligence and a coordinated enforcement operation carried out by officers during routine patrols.
He said the skins were concealed in a vehicle intercepted along a transit route, adding that both the driver and the owner of the consignment had been arrested and were currently in custody.
According to him, the trade and exportation of donkey skins are prohibited under Nigerian laws and relevant regulations enforced by agencies such as the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) and the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS).
He further noted that the operation aligns with Nigeria’s commitments under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which aims to curb the illegal exploitation of wildlife through international commerce.
The customs comptroller said investigations were ongoing and that the suspects would be charged to court in line with the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, and other applicable environmental laws.
Ka’ila stressed that the action reflects the zero-tolerance posture of the Service against smuggling, as directed by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi. He warned that wildlife trafficking not only threatens biodiversity but also undermines rural livelihoods and national economic security.
“The Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘D’, remains resolute in enforcing trade and conservation laws. Nigeria will not be used as a corridor for wildlife crimes,” he said.
The FOU Zone ‘D’ has operational responsibility over Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Benue, Gombe, Taraba, Plateau, Nasarawa and Yobe states.
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