Compt. Shuaibu’s FOU ‘B’ Ups -the – Ante, Hits Wildlife Smugglers Hard, Arrests 1
Compt. Shuaibu’s FOU ‘B’ Ups -the – Ante, Hits Wildlife Smugglers Hard, Arrests 1
By Jerry Aguigbo
The Comptroller Ahmadu Bello Shuaibu led Customs Federal Operation Zone ‘B’ Kaduna, has yet again demonstrated its resolve not to allow illegal trading in endangered wildlife species and other smuggling activities to thrive in the Zone.
With the Seizure of Pangolin Scale worth over N3b, and the arrest of 1 suspect, the Unit has once again shown that it is no longer business as usual for illicit trafficking in wildlife Species especially the endangered ones like Pangolin and Donkies.
Making this known to the Public today, the Area Controller, Ahmadu Bello Shuaibu said that this massive seizure is coming ” barely two weeks, after the donkey parts seizure. According to him, “our operatives have upped-the-ante in the combat against smuggling of protected species and successfully intercepted a consignment of Pangolin scale and its derivatives within Kebbi state axis of the Zone.
Acting on actionable intelligence the operatives storm a hideout known as (slaughter house) in the suburbs of Zuru Town in 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.
After careful examination and counting, the pangolin scales weighed 445.45kg.”
Compt. Shuaibu added 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).
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.
Continuing, he put the value of this seizure at the International market at Three Billion, Nine Hundred and Fifty-Five Million, Five Hundred and Ninety-Six Thousand Naira (#3,955,596,000.00) only.
1 Suspect he revealed, was arrested in connection with this seizure while the main suspect is currently at large. “However, the Unit in collaboration with other sister agencies will not rest on its oars until the main suspect is arrested and brought to book.”
Adding that the offence contravenes Section 55 (1) paragraph C and I of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Act 2023.
The success of this operation he stated ,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.
His words:”We wish to put it on record that the success of the operation is unique in that it was casualty free.
Shuaibu disclosed that “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 called on the general public to continue to cooperate and stand with the NCS on its fight against smuggling. “We must work together to salvage this country and to actualize the dream of our founding fathers,” Shuaibu said.
While reiterating that
that the Unit shall continue to enforce the Federal Government’s policies in line with International best practices, no matter the campaign of calumny against the Service.
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