Nigeria stops illegal export of parrots worth N6.8m
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in Seme, has intercepted the consignment containing different species of parrots meant for export. In its statement, the NCS said the seizure took place on 25 September 2023.
The seizure followed “credible intelligence and was intercepted at the gbaji checkpoint en route Benin Republic.”
“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,” said the NCS area commander, Comptroller Bomodi.
“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 said the NCS is committed to curbing illicit trade in the country.
“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 stated.
The seized birds have been handed to the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Services, Sanusi Magashi for safekeeping.
