Zika Bobby
Customs operatives attached to the Federal Operations Unit in Lagos have seized two containers of donkey hides, known locally as ponmo, valued at N15 billion.
Controller of the unit, Aliyu Mohammed, told journalists at a media briefing today that the animal skin were discovered at a location where they were being dried for export.
Mohammed said the actual area of seizure would not be disclosed as not to jeopardise ongoing investigations to undermine other seizures and arrest suspects connected with it.
He described it as an item under export prohibition aimed at preventing the animals from extinction. Mohammed said the whole seizures showed to journalists, including vehicles and drugs are worth N16billion.
The drugs, according to him, were intercepted on the road from a border area in Ogun State. He reiterated that codeine drugs are prohibited from being sold across the counter due to its incessant abuse and smuggling into the country will endanger lives of citizens.
Mohammed said: “We have seized the skin in two containers. As you can see, this is massive. One can only imagine how many donkeys have been killed to have this large number of donkey skin in two containers.
“We didn’t see the meat and it is possible they are being sold out to people as beef. As customs officers, we are going beyond duty collection to protect lives of people.