By Ahmed Kaigama
Bauchi, Dec. 30, 2025 – In a significant enforcement action, the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘D’ Bauchi, has intercepted and seized 718 pieces of donkey skins in Mubi, Adamawa State. The contraband has a Duty Paid Value (DPV) exceeding ₦24 million, highlighting the substantial economic scale of this illicit trade.
Comptroller Abdullahi Ka’ila announced the seizure at a news conference in Bauchi, detailing that the operation was the result of credible intelligence and coordinated enforcement efforts on December 26. A vehicle transporting the prohibited items was intercepted, leading to the detention of both the driver and the owner of the goods.
This seizure is not merely a routine anti-smuggling success; it represents a critical front in the fight against a devastating and often overlooked wildlife crime. The trade in donkey skins is explicitly prohibited under Nigerian law, enforced by agencies like the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) and the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS).
Why the Ban on Donkey Skin Trade?
The global demand for donkey skins is primarily driven by the production of ejiao, a traditional Chinese gelatin used in cosmetics and health tonics. This demand has precipitated a crisis for donkey populations worldwide. Donkeys are not livestock bred at an industrial scale; they are working animals that reproduce slowly. Indiscriminate slaughter for their skins has led to plummeting populations, threatening biodiversity and crippling rural communities in Africa and beyond that rely on donkeys for transportation, agriculture, and livelihoods.
Comptroller Ka’ila emphasized that Nigeria’s action ensures compliance with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), an international agreement to ensure that trade does not threaten species’ survival. By intercepting this shipment, Nigeria upholds its international commitments and protects its own animal populations from being decimated for an illegal export market.
The Broader Implications and Enforcement Stance
Ka’ila framed the seizure within the NCS’s zero-tolerance policy against smuggling, as directed by the Comptroller-General, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi. He issued a stern warning, stating, “Illegal wildlife trade threatens biodiversity, undermines rural livelihoods, and constitutes economic sabotage.”
He reiterated the unit’s resolve: “The Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘D’ remains resolute in enforcing trade and conservation laws. Nigeria will not be used as a corridor for wildlife crimes.”
An investigation is ongoing, and the suspects will face prosecution under the robust NCS Act 2023 and other extant environmental laws, which can carry severe penalties including lengthy imprisonment and heavy fines.
Context of the Operation: FOU Zone ‘D’, with jurisdiction over Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Benue, Gombe, Taraba, Plateau, Nasarawa, and Yobe states, plays a pivotal role in securing Nigeria’s vast northeastern borders. This seizure in Mubi, a key border area, underscores the ongoing challenges and strategic importance of monitoring cross-border trafficking routes.
Edited by Rabiu Sani-Ali
