Kebbi Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, has generated over ninety eight point two million naira in the month of May.
The Area Controller Dr. Ben Oramalugu stated this while handing over seized donkey meat and skins to the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Services (NAQS) in the spirit of interagency agency collaboration.
The Controller explains that, the (414) sacks of donkey meat and skins seized by the Command are part of the process of seizure started from Maje border, and ended in Kamba axis in May.
He stated that the amount represents 111% of the Command’s monthly revenue target.
Dr Ben Oramalugo noted that, Customs are empowered to detain, seize and condemn any item on several grounds as enshrined in Section 167 of CEMA Cap C45 LFN 2004, if they are smuggled into the country or imported without payment of duty, irrespective of whether the items are allowed to be imported or outright contraband.
“As for the skins, Schedule 6 of export prohibition list includes raw hide/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 wild life animal classified as endangered species and their product (like lizard, elephant, crocodile etc).”
In a remark, the Assistant Comptroller General of Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Services in charge of North West Zone, Adamu Isah Ganó, while appreciating the Command, also noted that, international trade on such animals declared as endangered species is strictly regulated, adding that a trader must possess CITES certificate, certificate of exportation or importation as the case may be by the country’s environmental authority, sanitary/hygienic certifications and eventually, a professional comes into play, which in this case is the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria (CVON), who offers permit to either import or export such animals.
He stated that, in the case of donkeys, the slaughter of donkeys for their products are strictly prohibited by the extant law of Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Services and therefore appreciated Nigeria Customs Service for its laudable interventions to stop the illicit trade.
Abdullahi Tukur
