The Nigeria Customs Service, Seme Area Command, has intercepted live endangered species of African grey parrots, green parrots, and a hawk valued at N6,859,832.
The Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Timi Bomodi, made this known on September 25, 2023, in his maiden press briefing.
According to Comptroller Bomodi, the seizure was made in the early hours of Monday, September 25, 2023, following credible intelligence. Bomodi said the birds were intercepted at Gbaji checkpoint en route to Benin Republic.
He said, “These animals were intercepted by our officers at about 4 am today; we got the intelligence that they were being conveyed in a luxurious bus all the way from Kaduna to Lagos, with the intention to take them out of the country to sell.
“As you may be aware, this is an illicit trade of endangered species, they are valued outside the country and we have individuals that are ready to go through a lot of risks to smuggle these birds.”
Comptroller Bomodi restated the commitment of the Nigeria Customs Service to curb the menace of illicit trade in the country while also noting that two suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure.
“Part of the responsibilities of the Nigeria Customs Service as a signatory to the convention on illicit trade in endangered species is to ensure trade like this does not continue and we are hell-bent on seeing that things of this nature are not circulated.
“We already have two suspects in our custody, and the normal procedure for activating seizures of this nature with special regard to how these defendants will be treated is already in place,” he said.
He, however, handed over the birds to the Controller, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Services, Sanusi Magashi, whose responsibility is to temporarily safeguard and nurture such animals and later release them to the national park.
Receiving the items, Comptroller Magaji commended the management of Seme Area Command for the synergy, describing it as a job well done.
