The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted donkey parts worth over ₦3.94 billion and handed them over to the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) in Kaduna State.
The seizure, confirmed on Friday through Customs’ official X handle, was made by the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone B, Kaduna, during a series of anti-smuggling raids.
According to the service, the consignment included 700 bags of donkey bones valued at ₦1.86bn and 2,500 pieces of dried donkey skins worth ₦2.07bn. The items were being packaged for illegal export in violation of national laws and international conventions such as CITES.
The official handover was conducted on Tuesday in Kaduna, where the Controller of FOU Zone B, Comptroller Aminu Sule, presented the items to Mr. Hene Emmanuel, NESREA State Coordinator.
Sule raised concerns over the impact of the illegal trade on rural communities.
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“Donkeys remain a major source of transport and livelihood for rural dwellers. Their indiscriminate slaughter for commercial gains threatens sustainable development. This seizure sends a clear warning—smugglers will find no hiding place in Zone B,” he said.
Receiving the exhibits, Emmanuel applauded the Customs for their intelligence-led operations, assuring that NESREA would pursue prosecution of the suspects.
“Our priority now is to ensure legal action is taken against those involved, to reduce the demand fueling the depletion of Nigeria’s donkey population,” he added.
The event was witnessed by representatives of security and regulatory agencies. NESREA confirmed that the seized donkey parts will be processed in line with Nigeria’s environmental protection laws.
