Compt. Ahmadu Bello Shauibu, Comptroller of Federal Operations Unit, Zone B, Kaduna,

Operatives of the Anti-smuggling Unit of the Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘B’ Kaduna, have intercepted endangered Wildlife Species Parts totalling 445.45kg within Kebbi state axis of the Zone and arrested one Suspect, Citizen NewsNG reports.

While addressing Journalists on Wednesday June 5, 2024, the Comptroller of Federal Operations Unit, Zone B, Kaduna, Compt. Ahmadu Bello Shauibu said the officers acted on intelligence report to carry out the operation in the suburbs of Zuru Town, Kebbi State on Friday, May 24 2024 at about 1600hrs.

The team discovered and evacuated sacks of pangolin scales which were transported to the HQ of FOU Zone ‘B’ in Kaduna.

“Let me once again explain that the pangolin specie is one of the endangered species that is protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flaura (CITES)”, Compt Shauibu stated.

“It is instructive that Nigeria is signatory to the CITES Convention and all forms of trading in this species are clearly illegal.
The Nigeria Customs Service will continue to partner CITES to forestall the identified species from going into extinction”.

According to him, the value of the seizure at the International market is worth Three Billion, Nine Hundred and Fifty-Five Million, Five Hundred and Ninety-Six Thousand Naira (#3,955,596,000.00).

The Operatives nabbed a suspect (Name withheld ) during the raid while the Prime suspect is currently at large.

“The offence contravene Section 55 (1) paragraph C and I of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Act 2023”.

“The success of this operation lies in robust intelligence sharing between the NCS and Wild life Office and the resilience by operatives of the Unit to leverage and utilize the coordinates given to them to make this arrest.
We wish to put it on record that the success of the operation is unique in that it was casualty free”, he continued.

“From empirical evidence, we make bold to say 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 said.

The Customs Boss however urged the citizenry to support Customs in tackling smuggling and reassured the general public that the service would collaborate with other security agencies to arrest the fleeing suspect.

By Olabode Adeyeri

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