Zone ‘B’ Federal Operations Unit (FOU) of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), yesterday, disclosed that its men and officers intercepted Pangolin scales weighing 445.45kg worth N3.955 billion in the international market.
Controller of Area Command (CAC), Comptroller Ahmadu Bello Shuaibu, made this known while briefing journalists on activities of the unit in Kaduna on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, saying: “During our recent briefing on May 21, 2024, we declared our resolve not to allow illegal trading in endangered wildlife species and other smuggling activities to thrive in the Zone.
“Between that time and today, which is barely two weeks, our operatives successfully waged a war against smuggling of protected species and intercepted a consignment of Pangolin scale and its derivatives within the Kebbi State axis of the Zone.”
Shuaibu explained that the operatives, who acted on actionable intelligence, stormed a hideout codenamed slaughter house in the suburbs of Zuru Town in Kebbi State on Friday, May 24, 2024 at about 16:00 hours and discovered and evacuated sacks of pangolin scales, which were brought to the HQ of FOU Zone ‘B’ in Kaduna.
He said after careful examination and counting, the Pangolin scales weighed 445.45kg and that the value of the seizures at the international market amounts to a whopping N3.955 billion
Comptroller Shuaibu further stressed that the Pangolin specie is one of the endangered species protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flaura (CITES), adding: “It is instructive that Nigeria is signatory to the CITES Convention and all forms of trading in this species are clearly illegal.
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“The Nigeria Customs Service will continue to partner CITES to forestall the identified species from going into extinction. A suspect was arrested in connection with this seizure, while the main suspect is currently at large. However, the Unit in collaboration with other sister agencies will not rest on its oars until the main suspect is arrested and brought to book.”
Maintaining that the offence contravenes Section 55 (1) paragraph C and I of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Act 2023, he said the operation was successful due to robust intelligence sharing between the NCS and the Wild Life Office, as well as the resilience of the operatives to leverage and utilize the coordinates received to make the arrest.
“From empirical evidence, we safely conclude that those involved in the illegal trafficking of endangered species are hiding under it to launder money used in procuring drugs, arms and other illegal merchandise. You can imagine the havoc this may have caused if it had escaped the eagle eyes of our operatives,” he added.
Shuaibu urged members of the public to continue to cooperate and stand with the NCS on its fight against smuggling, adding: “We must work together to salvage this country and to actualize the dream of our founding fathers. The Unit shall continue to enforce the Federal Government policies in line with international best practices, no matter the campaign of calumny against the Service.”
