The Nigeria Customs Service said it intercepted a container on June 5, loaded with 10,300 donkey genitals along the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway.

The Comptroller-General of NCS, Adewale Adeniyi, stated this at a news conference on Thursday at the NCS Government Warehouse in Karu, Abuja.

Mr Adeniyi, represented by service’s National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, said that the move underscored the service’s commitment to protecting endangered species and preserving biodiversity.

He said, “The interception was carried out under coordinated surveillance by officers of the Special Wildlife Office (SWO) and Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU), further confirming the persistence of illegal wildlife trafficking networks in exploited Nigeria’s corridors.’’

According to him, in the past 12 months, the Special Wildlife Office uncovered and disrupted numerous illicit wildlife trafficking operations nationwide.

He said. “Noteworthy among these is the recovery of six African grey parrots and the arrest of one suspect on December 10, 2024, at Kano. The interception of two live pangolins, five mona monkeys, two tantalus monkeys, one baby baboon and an African grey parrot at Lagos Airport in May 2025. In another separate operation, there was an arrest of one suspect in the Ikom area of Cross River State linked to seizures of 213 parrot heads, six eagle heads, 128 hornbill heads, and other exotic species. The service handed over rescued tortoises to the National Park Service in Oyo State.’’

The customs boss said the service recorded several seizures of taxidermy specimens, including life-sized lions, zebra hides, gorilla parts, and pangolin scales, at various ports and along logistics routes nationwide.

He said that one of such cases involved 119.4 kilograms of pangolin scales, found in a container concealed in sacks around the Calabar area of Cross River State.

In another development, he said, 120 African grey parrots were rescued and one suspect arrested in the Fufore area of Adamawa State.

Mr Adeniyi stated that the alarming figures underscored the scale, sophistication, and profitability of the illegal wildlife trade.

The NCS, he said, considers the situation an issue of national importance not only from an ecological standpoint but also because wildlife trafficking is increasingly linked to other forms of organised crime.

He said, “This includes money laundering, arms smuggling and illicit currency flows.’’

According to Mr Adeniyi, NCS’s management is investing in capacity building, digital surveillance, species identification, and a cross-border enforcement framework to combat the menace.

He said NCS was determined to uphold Nigeria’s obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and enforce the provisions of the NCS Act 2023, CITES, and other national environmental laws.

“We urge the public, especially those in border communities and logistics hubs, to report suspicious movements of wildlife products. The fight against wildlife crime requires sustained collaboration, vigilance, and an unyielding commitment to justice,” he said.

He said that the seized items would be officially handed over to the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) in line with its commitment to inter-agency collaboration and statutory mandates.

Also speaking, NCS’s lead officer, Special Wild Office, Anuhu Mani, said that his team from December 2024 through June 2025 intercepted 6087.9 kg of pangolin scales, 4.15 kg of worked ivory and 157 live African grey parrots.

Others he said include 20 green parrots, four live Senegal parrots, two budgies, six live monkeys, four live pangolins, 3,022 donkey skins, 37 taxidermies, 16 zebra skins and 10,603 male donkey genitals.

Mr Mani noted that they apprehended more than 10 suspects involved in wildlife trafficking networks, with one already convicted. 

(NAN)