At least 414 sacks of Donkey skin have been intercepted by the operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service, Kebbi Area Command from suspected smugglers.
It was learnt that the process of seizure started from the Maje border, and ended in the Kamba axis in May.
This was contained in a statement by the Customs Area Controller of the Command, Dr. Ben Oramalugo while handing over seized donkey meat and skins to the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Services (NAQS) in the spirit of interagency agency collaboration.
The items handed over to NAQS at the Command’s Headquarters in Birnin Kebbi include four hundred and fourteen (414) sacks of donkey meat and skins seized by the Command.
The Area Controller also disclosed that the command under his supervision generated the sum of ninety-eight million two hundred and eighty-six thousand five hundred and fifty-two (₦98, 286, 525) naira in May. Adding that the amount represents over a hundred percent of the command’s monthly revenue target.
Speaking on the seized donkey meat and skins, Oramalugo noted that Customs is empowered to detain, seize and condemn any item on several grounds as enshrined in Section 167 of CEMA Cap C45 LFN 2004, provided such items were smuggled into the country or imported without payment of duty.
“Same is also applicable to the items intercepted by customs about to be smuggled out of the country. Section 63 of CEMA is unequivocal about the exportation of items without following the laydown procedure of approved exports”, he stressed
He queried, “If the exporters knew they were doing the right thing, why didn’t they follow the approved route and observe Customs export procedure?”
He further explained reasons for the seizure to disabuse some people mind who think they’re doing legitimate business, Dr. Ben Oramalugo stated that the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which is an international agreement between governments, frowns at illegal trade of endangered species which threaten the survival of the species and Nigeria is Signatory to the agreement.
He added that Decree 11 of 1985 signified Nigeria’s ratification of the convention.
“As for the skins, Schedule 6 of the export prohibition list includes rawhide/Skin including wet blue and unprocessed leather as prohibited for export under serial No 3. And in the same vein, Serial No 7 also mentioned wildlife animals classified as endangered species and their product (like lizards, elephants, crocodiles, etc).”