The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone C, Owerri, has seized a 40-foot container filled with dry salted donkey skin in Imo State, with an estimated value of ₦3.6 billion.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, June 24, the Service said the discovery was made during a detailed inspection by vigilant officers, who uncovered the banned items, which were being prepared for unlawful export.
Dry donkey skin, known as ejiao in traditional Chinese medicine, is on Nigeria’s Export Prohibition List due to its detrimental impact on biodiversity, environmental sustainability, and concerns over the illegal trade in endangered species.
According to the Nigeria Customs Service, the intercepted shipment contained 3,022 pieces of dry donkey skin, packed in sacks holding either 9 or 10 pieces each. With an average weight of 4.5 kilograms per piece, the total consignment weighed 13.599 metric tons.
The market value of the seized goods was calculated using the current global rate of $750 per piece, or $166.60 per kilogram.
Comptroller Abdullahi Balogun, Customs Area Controller for FOU Zone C, commended the officers involved for their alertness and professionalism. He reiterated that under the leadership of Comptroller General Adewale Adeniyi, the Service remains committed to enforcing trade regulations and curbing the smuggling of banned and endangered commodities.
“This interception sends a strong message to individuals and smuggling syndicates involved in the illicit wildlife trade. We will continue to strengthen surveillance, gather intelligence, and intensify enforcement operations across all zones,” Balogun stated.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) reiterated its warning to traders and exporters to avoid involvement in the illegal trafficking of wildlife products, stressing that anyone caught will face the full force of the law.
