Nigeria Customs Seize Container of Donkey Genitals in Major Wildlife Smuggling Bust

Operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) have intercepted a 40-foot container filled with donkey genitals suspected to be destined for illegal export.

The seizure, made along the Kaduna–Abuja Expressway on Friday, June 5, 2025, was the result of a coordinated operation involving the Customs Special Wildlife Office and its Intelligence Unit.

At a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi—represented by the National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada—said the interception underscores Nigeria’s growing vulnerability to wildlife trafficking orchestrated by transnational criminal networks.

“This is not an isolated incident,” Maiwada said while formally handing over the seized materials to the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) at the NCS Government Warehouse in Karu, Abuja. “Illegal wildlife trade is a serious threat to our ecological integrity and national security. It’s often linked with broader crimes like arms smuggling and money laundering.”

The container was intercepted at approximately 9:00 p.m. during a targeted surveillance operation. According to the NCS, the operation highlights persistent trafficking activity through Nigerian transit routes despite existing laws prohibiting trade in endangered species.

Maiwada outlined several other recent busts by the Customs Wildlife Office, including:

• The recovery of African Grey Parrots and arrest of a suspect in Kano (Dec. 2024),
• The interception of live pangolins, monkeys, and parrots at Lagos Airport (May 2025),
• A bust in Cross River State involving 213 parrot heads and other exotic species,
• The rescue of 120 African Grey Parrots in Adamawa, and
• The seizure of 119.4kg of pangolin scales hidden in a container in Calabar.

“These figures illustrate the scale and sophistication of the illegal wildlife market,” Maiwada said, adding that many of the operations involve international syndicates.

The NCS said it is ramping up its enforcement capacity through digital surveillance, forensic investigations, and inter-agency collaborations. Several wildlife trafficking cases are already in court, and more arrests and prosecutions are expected in the coming months.

Maiwada urged the public, especially in border areas and logistics hubs, to report suspicious activities involving wildlife products. He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to upholding the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, and international agreements such as CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).

“We are not just seizing illicit cargo; we are dismantling criminal networks,” he said.