![JUST IN: Customs Seizes Donkey Parts Worth ₦3.94bn, Hands Over to NESREA in Kaduna [PHOTOS]](https://nationscuriosity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/InShot_20251003_145139017.jpg)
Customs seizes donkey parts worth ₦3.94bn in Kaduna, hands them to NESREA, warning traffickers against illegal wildlife trade.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘B’, Kaduna, has handed over seized donkey bones and skins worth over ₦3.94 billion to the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA). The move underscores the government’s resolve to combat illegal wildlife trafficking and protect endangered species.
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The handover, which took place on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, at the Unit’s headquarters in Kaduna, followed weeks of enforcement operations that led to multiple interceptions of donkey parts destined for illicit trade.
Details of the Seizure
According to a statement by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs Saidu Nuruddeen, the seizures included:
700 bags of donkey bones valued at ₦1.86 billion
2,500 pieces of donkey skins worth ₦2.07 billion
The donkey skins were intercepted on September 18, 2025, while the bones had been seized earlier, bringing the total duty-paid value to more than ₦3.94 billion.
Comptroller Aminu Sule, head of FOU Zone ‘B’, emphasized the ecological and socio-economic importance of donkeys, describing them as “a lifeline for rural communities, serving as tools for livelihood and transportation.” He warned that indiscriminate slaughter threatens sustainable development and Nigeria’s biodiversity.
Customs Issues Stern Warning
Sule reiterated that the seizure sends a strong signal to traffickers:
“FOU Zone ‘B’ will not relent in enforcing environmental laws, safeguarding endangered species, and ensuring Nigeria is not turned into a hub for illegal wildlife trade.”
He also praised his officers’ vigilance, acknowledged the intelligence support from sister agencies, and linked the success of the operation to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi’s policy of Collaboration, Consolidation, and Innovation.
NESREA Responds
Receiving the items, NESREA’s Kaduna State Coordinator, Hene Emmanuel, applauded Customs’ proactive action and confirmed that an investigation would be launched immediately. He added that NESREA will ensure safe disposal of the seized donkey parts while tracking down those behind the illicit trade.
Emmanuel further stressed that donkey trafficking poses severe ecological and socio-economic risks, pledging continued collaboration with Customs and other agencies to curb environmental crimes.
National Call to Action
The event, attended by representatives of security and regulatory agencies, ended with a formal handover of the donkey parts to NESREA. Both agencies urged communities, traders, and transporters to support the fight against illegal wildlife trafficking by reporting suspicious activities.
