Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — In a significant breakthrough against illegal wildlife trade, the Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘C’, has intercepted a container laden with N3.6 billion worth of dry salted donkey skins in Owerri, Imo State.
The illicit shipment, packed into a 40-foot container, was uncovered during a detailed physical examination by officers of the unit.
The seized container held 3,022 pieces of dry salted donkey hides, tightly packed in sacks containing 9 to 10 skins each, destined for illegal export in direct violation of Nigeria’s Export Prohibition List.
Comptroller Bishir Balogun, head of the Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘C’, confirmed the interception and commended his team for their vigilance.
Balogun said, “This is a major economic and environmental crime. The seized container is currently under investigation, and further actions will be taken in line with the Nigeria Customs Service Act (2023) and other applicable laws.”
He emphasized that donkey skins are prohibited exports due to their role in biodiversity degradation and their connection to a broader black-market trade in endangered species.
“The trade in donkey hides is not only illegal, it also threatens the ecological balance and pushes the species toward extinction. This is why it is banned,” he added.
The interception comes amid rising global demand for donkey skins, particularly in Asia, where they are used in traditional medicine. The high-profit margins have made the illicit trade a growing threat to Nigeria’s livestock population and environmental stability.
“Let this be a clear warning to smugglers and their networks. The Nigeria Customs Service is intensifying surveillance, intelligence gathering, and joint enforcement operations across all zones. Those engaged in wildlife smuggling will face the full weight of the law.”
This seizure underscores Nigeria’s growing focus on wildlife protection and economic security, particularly as the illegal trade in animal parts undermines both national biodiversity and lawful trade practices.
Environmentalists and trade experts say the black-market value of the donkey skin trade, estimated in the billions globally, is increasingly driving illegal exports from Africa, with Nigeria often targeted as a transit point.
The NCS’s Zone ‘C’ covers the South-East and South-South regions of Nigeria and has consistently been at the forefront of major seizures in recent months, ranging from contraband goods to endangered species.
The Customs Service also called on the public to report suspicious wildlife trading activity, while reiterating its zero-tolerance policy on the illegal exportation of protected species.
