RismadarVoice Media
January 1, 2026
The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit Zone D, Bauchi, has intercepted 719 pieces of donkey skins with a Duty Paid Value of over ₦24 million in Mubi, Adamawa State.
The Comptroller of the Unit, Abdullahi Ka’ila, stated on Tuesday during a press briefing in Bauchi that the seizure was made on December 26 following credible intelligence and coordinated enforcement operations by officers of the unit.
The donkey skins, classified as prohibited items, were concealed in a vehicle intercepted during routine patrols. The driver and owner of the consignment have been arrested and are in custody for further investigation.
Comptroller Ka’ila explained that the trade and exportation of donkey skins are prohibited under Nigerian law, in line with regulations enforced by agencies including the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency and the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service.
He added that the interception aligns with Nigeria’s obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which seeks to prevent the exploitation and extinction of endangered species through international trade.
Investigations are ongoing, and the suspects will be prosecuted in accordance with the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, as well as other applicable environmental laws.
Comptroller Ka’ila emphasized that the seizure reflects the Service’s zero-tolerance stance against smuggling, noting that illegal wildlife trade threatens biodiversity, rural livelihoods, and national economic security.
“The Federal Operations Unit Zone D remains resolute in enforcing trade and conservation laws. Nigeria will not be used as a corridor for wildlife crimes,” he said.
The FOU Zone D covers Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Benue, Gombe, Taraba, Plateau, Nasarawa, and Yobe States.
