Officers of the Nigeria Customs Service in Imo State have stopped an illegal attempt to export dry donkey skin worth about N3.6 billion.
The banned item was discovered inside a 40-foot container during a detailed inspection by officers of the Federal Operations Unit, Zone C, in Owerri.
The customs officials explained in a statement on Tuesday that the seized product, known as dry salted donkey skin, is on Nigeria’s list of goods banned from export. The government banned it because of its negative impact on the environment and the growing illegal trade in endangered animals.
After searching the container, the officers found 3,022 pieces of the animal skin, packed in sacks of 10 and 9 pieces each. Each skin weighed around 4.5kg, bringing the total weight to over 13,000 kilograms.
The global price of the product, according to customs, is \$750 per piece and about \$166.6 per kilogram. This means the total value of the seized goods is around N3.6 billion.
Speaking on the seizure, the Customs Area Controller in charge of Zone C, Abdullahi Balogun, praised the team for their hard work and quick action. He said, “This seizure shows our strong commitment under the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, to stop smuggling and protect the environment.”
Balogun also warned those involved in the illegal wildlife trade to stop, saying that customs will continue to increase intelligence gathering, surveillance, and operations to catch those breaking the law.
He added that the service will keep working closely with other agencies to protect endangered species and stop the illegal export of restricted goods from the country.
