The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone B, Kaduna, has handed over a massive seizure of donkey bones and skins worth over ₦3.94 billion to the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA).

The handover ceremony took place on Tuesday in Kaduna, where the Customs Area Controller, Mr Aminu Sule, formally presented the confiscated items to the NESREA State Coordinator, Mr Hene Emmanuel.

The items included 700 bags of donkey bones valued at ₦1.86 billion and 2,500 pieces of donkey skins valued at ₦2.07 billion, all intercepted in separate operations by the operatives of the unit.

Speaking at the event, Sule decried the illegal trade in donkey parts, warning that it posed serious ecological and socio-economic risks.

“Donkeys are essential to rural communities as a source of livelihood and transport.

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“Their indiscriminate slaughter threatens sustainable development,” he said.

Sule emphasised the commitment of the NCS to enforcing environmental protection laws and curbing wildlife crimes, stating that FOU Zone B would not allow Nigeria to become a hub for illegal wildlife trade.

“This seizure is a clear warning to traffickers: FOU Zone B will not relent in the fight against environmental crime,” he added.

The Customs boss highlighted that the operation and successful handover were the outcomes of improved inter-agency cooperation, in line with the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi’s ‘Three-Point Agenda of Collaboration, Consolidation, and Innovation’.

He praised the dedication of his officers and partner agencies even as he called for increased support from the public, especially transporters, warehouse operators, and traders, to report suspicious activities linked to wildlife trafficking.

Also speaking, NESREA’s State Coordinator, Mr Hene Emmanuel, commended the Customs service for its vigilance and expressed the agency’s commitment to ensuring proper environmental compliance and protection of endangered species.

NAN reports that the illegal trade in donkey parts, especially skins and bones, has been on the rise in recent years due to growing demand in parts of Asia. (NAN)