Customs seize container of donkey genitals along Kaduna-Abuja highway

Officials of the Nigeria Customs Service have intercepted a 40-foot container filled with donkey genitals along the Kaduna–Abuja Expressway. Authorities suspect the shipment was intended for illegal export.

According to the agency, the container was stopped on Friday, June 5, 2025, at approximately 9:00 pm, following a surveillance operation led by personnel from the Special Wildlife Office and the Customs Intelligence Unit.

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, revealed this during a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday. He was represented by the National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Abdullahi Maiwada, who explained that the operation forms part of broader efforts to dismantle illegal wildlife trafficking networks in the country.

“This seizure is not an isolated incident,” Maiwada said at the NCS Government Warehouse in Karu, where the items were officially handed over to the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency.

He stated, “In line with our efforts, I am pleased to inform you that on Friday, 5th June 2025, at approximately 2100 hours, operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service acting on credible intelligence intercepted a 1x40ft container loaded with donkey genitals along the Kaduna–Abuja Expressway.

“The interception was carried out under coordinated surveillance by officers of the SWO and CIU, further confirming the persistence of illegal wildlife trafficking networks in exploiting Nigeria’s corridors.

“After proper documentation and compliance with procedure, the seized items will be officially handed over today, Thursday, 10th July 2025, to the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency at the NCS Government Warehouse in Karu, Abuja, in line with our commitment to inter-agency collaboration and statutory mandates.”

Maiwada noted that the agency has stepped up enforcement through the Special Wildlife Office, established specifically to tackle the smuggling of endangered animals and to uphold Nigeria’s obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

“This seizure is not an isolated incident. Over the past 12 months, the Special Wildlife Office has uncovered and disrupted multiple illicit wildlife trafficking operations across the country.

“Noteworthy among these include the recovery of six African Grey Parrots and the arrest of one suspect on 10 December 2024 at Kano, the interception of two live pangolins, five Mona monkeys, two Tantalus monkeys, one baby baboon and an African Grey Parrot at Lagos Airport in May 2025. In another separate operation, there was an arrest of one suspect in the Ikom area of Cross River State linked to seizures of 213 parrot heads, six eagle heads, 128 hornbill heads, and other exotic species.

“On 13 January 2025, the Service handed over rescued tortoises to the National Park Service in Oyo State. Several seizures involving taxidermy specimens, such as life-sized lions, zebra hides, gorilla parts, and pangolin scales have been recorded in various ports and logistics routes nationwide. One such case involved 119.4kg of pangolin scales found in a container concealed in sacks around Calabar area of Cross River State. In another development, 120 African Grey Parrots were rescued, and one suspect was arrested in Fufore area of Adamawa State.

“These figures underscore the scale, sophistication, and profitability of the illegal wildlife trade,” Maiwada said, adding that many of the operations are linked to wider criminal syndicates also involved in money laundering, arms smuggling, and illicit currency flows.

Maiwada continued, “The Nigeria Customs Service considers this an issue of national importance, not only from an ecological standpoint but also because wildlife trafficking is increasingly linked with other forms of organised crimes, including money laundering, arms smuggling, and illicit currency flows.

“The Service, under the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, and his management team, is investing in capacity building, digital surveillance, species identification, and cross-border enforcement frameworks to combat this menace.

“Our Wildlife Office’s investments, including digital forensics and phone analysis of suspects, have strengthened our evidence base, with several prosecutions currently underway. In closing, I wish to assure Nigerians and the international community that the Nigeria Customs Service is resolute in enforcing the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, CITES, and other national environmental laws.

“We urge the public, especially those in border communities and logistics hubs, to report suspicious movements of wildlife products. The fight against wildlife crime requires sustained collaboration, vigilance, and an unyielding commitment to justice. On behalf of the Comptroller-General and the management of the Nigeria Customs Service, I commend the gallant officers of the SWO and CIU as well as the Customs Police Unit, and all our strategic partners for their contributions. The Service will continue to provide updates on future developments and prosecutions as they unfold.”