By; JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
The Kebbi Command, of the Nigeria Customs Service has supervised the destruction of 1,390 sacks of donkey meat with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N42,534,400.
According to the area Comptroller of the Command, Comptroller Josph Attah, the endangered species meat was recently intercepted in a trailer with Registration Number ARG 323 XA on March 5, 2022.
Comptroller Attah, through the Command Public Relations Officer, Nasiru Manga, explained that the driver and one other occupant of the vehicle were immediately arrested and brought to the Command’s Headquarters with the offending item for further investigation.
“Physical examination of the truck revealed that it was loaded with 1,390 sacks of donkey meat with a Duty Paid Value of 42,534,400 naira”, he said in a statement.
While addressing journalists at the Customs Headquarters in Birnin Kebbi on Wednesday, the Comptroller Attah said that Nigeria is a signatory to International Convention on Wildlife fauna and flora and Nigeria Customs Service has responsibility to enforce the law and help protect such animals.
“As a responsible member of the international community, we cannot allow our nation to be used as a conduit pipe for illegal trade on wild life. Poaching donkeys is illegal and we urge all those in this illegality to stop it as it we are determined to make it unprofitable including the possibility of sending them to jail”, he said.
The CAC stated that Kebbi Area Command remains committed to fighting all forms of smuggling and other illicit trade such as this, with improved logistic and robust support of the CGC and members of his management team.
The representatives of the Police, Department of State Services (DSS) and National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) were also in attendance to witness the destruction.
Illegal trade on endangered species such as donkeys is a contravention of Section 63 (b) of Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) CAP C.45 LFN 2004.
