Apapa Customs impounds pangolin, other items worth N952 million

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

The Controller in charge of Apapa command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Comptroller Mohammed Abba-Kura has said that the command made a seizure of various items worth N952,000,000 falsely declared as processed furniture.

The Public Relations Officer of the command, Abubakar Usman stated this in a release on Tuesday afternoon.

The Controller added that an arrest is made in connection to the seizure.

He adduced the seizure made on 21st of January,2021, to credible intelligence by officers of the export seat of the command.

Full text of the tease, “Customs Operatives at the Export seat of Apapa Command were successful at detecting and arresting one unit of 20 feet container which was processed for export and falsely declared as Furniture

“Components in an attempt to evade arrest. Upon 100% physical examination, it was found to contain:- 162 sacks of pangolin scales weighing 8,800 kg.
– 57 sacks of mixed endangered species of various sizes such as Ivory/animal horns, lion bones etc destined for Haiphong, Vietnam.

“The total weight of the aforementioned items stood at 854,719 tonnes and valued at
Nine hundred and fifty-two million Naira (N952,000,000).

“The Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES 1973) entails that Customs Administration all over the world protects wildlife by intercepting illegal trade on such animals. Pangolins—scaly, shy, and sensitive—are believed to be the world’s most trafficked nonhuman mammals, accounting for as much as 20% of all illegal wildlife trade.

“Their scales, which are made of keratin (the material in fingernails)
have no scientifically proven curative properties but are in high demand for use in traditional Chinese medicine.

“Consequently, all eight species are threatened with extinction. Despite a 2017 ban on international commercial trade of the scales, experts estimate that more than a million pangolins were poached from 2000 through to 2014.

“Presently, one suspect “Mr Felix Oname (m)” of No. 17 Chief Joseph Udeth Street, Egan Igando-Lagos is currently in detention and is being interrogated.

“After due investigation, the Service headquarters will take necessary action in line with environmental laws, guidelines, protocols, conventions and treaties on environment.

“For the avoidance of doubt, our action of impounding this container is in line with the provisions of Section 147 of Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) Cap 45,
Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

“Also, the seizure is line with schedule 6 of the Command External Tariff,” he stated.