Key Takeaways:
- Federal Operations Unit Zone D intercepted a vehicle in Mubi and seized 718 donkey skins with a Duty Paid Value of over N24 million.
- The seizure enforces Nigerian law and international obligations under CITES and involved agencies NESREA and NAQS.
- Two suspects were detained and investigations will proceed under the NCS Act 2023, signalling a zero-tolerance approach to wildlife crime.
- Donkey skins seizure in Nigeria highlights efforts to protect biodiversity and prevent the country being used for illegal wildlife trade.
Customs Seize 718 Donkey Skins in Adamawa
Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone D of the Nigerian Customs Service announced the seizure of 718 donkey skins in Mubi, Adamawa, with a Duty Paid Value exceeding N24 million. The interception took place on 26 December following intelligence-led enforcement, the comptroller in charge confirmed.
Donkey skins seizure in Nigeria: enforcement and implications
Comptroller Abdullahi Ka’ila told reporters in Bauchi that officers stopped a vehicle conveying the prohibited consignment and detained both the driver and the owner of the goods. The items were described as a prohibited export under national law, and the operation involved coordination with relevant regulatory agencies.
The customs chief noted that trade in donkey skins is banned under Nigerian regulations enforced by bodies such as the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) and the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS). He added that the seizure supports Nigeria’s commitments under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which aims to protect species threatened by international trade.
Mr Ka’ila said the suspects will face prosecution under the Nigerian Customs Service Act 2023 and other applicable environmental statutes. He described the action as part of the unit’s ongoing anti-smuggling operations and said the service will pursue legal action to deter similar offences in future.
The comptroller linked the seizure to a broader zero-tolerance directive from the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi. He stressed that illegal wildlife trade undermines biodiversity, harms rural livelihoods, and constitutes economic sabotage by enabling illicit supply chains.
“The Federal Operations Unit Zone D remains resolute in enforcing trade and conservation laws,” Mr Ka’ila said, adding that Nigeria will not be used as a corridor for wildlife crime. The FOU Zone D covers Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Benue, Gombe, Taraba, Plateau, Nasarawa and Yobe states, giving the unit a wide operational footprint in the north-east and central regions.
Environmental and trade experts welcomed the seizure as a sign of strengthened enforcement. Preventing the export of banned wildlife products helps protect local ecosystems and aligns national practice with international norms. It also reduces the risk that organised networks will exploit porous borders and weak controls for illicit trade.
Investigations are ongoing and authorities said they will follow up with forensic checks, supply-chain tracing, and co-ordination with partner agencies to establish the full scope of the operation. Successful prosecutions could serve as a deterrent and highlight the legal and reputational risks faced by those involved in illegal wildlife trafficking.
As Nigeria continues to reinforce border controls and regulatory oversight, this seizure sends a clear message that environmental laws will be enforced and that wildlife crimes will attract significant penalties. The case will be monitored by customs and environmental agencies as it proceeds through the courts.
