A 40-foot container filled with donkey genitals has been seized by the Nigeria Customs Service along the Kaduna–Abuja Expressway.
The strange discovery, suspected to be for illegal export, was made on Friday, June 5, around 9 pm.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, shared the news at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday. He was represented by the National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada.
Maiwada said, “This seizure is not an isolated incident. It shows how criminal groups are using Nigeria’s transport routes to traffic endangered species.”
According to Customs, the container was intercepted through a joint surveillance operation by the Special Wildlife Office and Customs Intelligence Unit.
“The items were properly documented and handed over to the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency today, July 10,” he said during the handover at the NCS Government Warehouse in Karu, Abuja.
The agency said this latest action is part of its stronger efforts to fight illegal wildlife trade, which is linked to other crimes like money laundering and arms smuggling.
Maiwada also listed previous wildlife seizures across the country. These include parrots, pangolins, baboons, monkeys, tortoises, eagle heads, and sacks of pangolin scales found in Calabar.
In Adamawa, officers rescued 120 African Grey Parrots and arrested a suspect. In Cross River, 213 parrot heads, 128 hornbill heads, and six eagle heads were recovered in another case.
He said the Nigeria Customs Service, under Adeniyi’s leadership, is using digital tools like phone tracking and forensics to support ongoing investigations and court cases.
He called on Nigerians to report suspicious wildlife movements, especially around borders and transport centres.
