The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says it has intercepted a container-load of 10,603 male donkey genitals.
Speaking at a briefing in Abuja, Adewale Adeniyi, the NCS comptroller-general (CG), represented by Abdullahi Maiwada, the service’s national public relations officer, said the 1x40ft container was intercepted at around 9pm on June 5 along the Kaduna–Abuja Expressway, after operatives received some credible intelligence.
“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 exploiting Nigeria’s corridors,” he said.
Adeniyi said the seized items were officially handed over to the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) after proper documentation and compliance with procedures.
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He said this aligned with NCS’s commitment to inter-agency collaboration and statutory mandates.
The comptroller-general said the seizure was not an isolated incident, adding that over the past 12 months, the special wildlife office has uncovered and disrupted multiple illicit wildlife trafficking operations across the country.
“Noteworthy among these is the recovery of six African Grey Parrots and the arrest of one suspect on 10th December 2024 in Kano,” he said.
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“In another operation, two live pangolins, five Mona monkeys, two Tantalus monkeys, one baby baboon, and an African Grey Parrot were intercepted at Lagos Airport in May 2025.
“Also, in a separate operation, one suspect was arrested in the Ikom area of Cross River State in connection with seizures of 213 parrot heads, six eagle heads, 128 hornbill heads, and other exotic species.”
