Author: Lucy Nyambi.
The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘C’, has foiled an attempt to illegally export a container load of dry salted donkey skins valued at ₦3.6 billion.
According to a statement issued by the unit on Monday, 23 June 2025, the seizure was made in Owerri, Imo State, following a comprehensive physical examination of a 40-foot container suspected of carrying prohibited items.
The intercepted shipment contained 3,022 pieces of dry salted donkey skins, tightly packed in sacks of 9 and 10 pieces each.
The Unit head, Comptroller Bishir Balogun, commended officers for their professionalism, alertness, and dedication to duty. “The seized container is currently under investigation, and further actions will be taken in line with the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act (2023) and other relevant laws.”
He stressed that the trade in donkey skin is prohibited under Nigeria’s Export Prohibition List, due to its implications on biodiversity, environmental balance and illegal trade in endangered species.
Comptroller Balogun warned individuals and syndicates involved in the smuggling of prohibited wildlife products to desist, as the Service is intensifying surveillance, intelligence gathering, and enforcement across all zones.
