The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says its operatives have intercepted a consignment of more than 1,620 live endangered birds at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
In a statement issued on Monday, Michael Awe, comptroller of the NSC airport command, said the seizures included ringneck parakeets (parrots) and canaries.
Awe said the birds were intercepted on July 31 by vigilant officers manning the control post at the cargo section of the airport.
“Furthermore, these live birds, over 1,620 in number: Ringneck, Parakeets (parrots) and canaries (green and Yellow Fronted) are protected species,” the statement reads.
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“These birds ought to have been accompanied by a Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) permit.”
The comptroller said the command is committed to ensuring that no illegal shipment escapes through the airport, adding that it will intensify investigations to identify and arrest those behind the smuggling attempt.
He added that the birds would be handed over to the National Parks Service (NPS), in line with the directive of Bashir Adeniyi, the comptroller-general of customs, who is also the chairman of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) Council.
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“As Nigeria is a signatory to the CITES of Wild Fauna and Flora, we are therefore charged with the responsibility to ensure that the international trade in specimens of this kind follows due process,” Awe said.
“This is a cargo that should have been accompanied by required permits and other required documentation to prove that the birds were legally obtained.
“This is to ensure that the trade will not be detrimental to their survival, or likewise, all other endangered species.”
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