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By Steve Agbota
Operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service, attached to the Comptroller-General of Customs Strike Force, at the weekend, bursted another gang responsible for the smuggling of pangolin scales and claws.
During the undercover operation, the team recovered a total of 1,014 kg of pangolin scales and claws valued at about N1.73 billion, while two suspects were arrested.
Those arrested were identified as Salif Sanwidi and Sunday Ebeyin, while other members of the gang were on the run.
Addressing media men at the Customs Training School, Ikeja, where the seizures were displayed, the National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Deputy Controller (DC), Joseph Attah, said that experts from the Federal Ministry of Environment, Department of Forestry, were expected to conduct the DNA test on the pangolin scales, to determine the country where the animals were killed.
He said though the illegal dealing in wildlife is not essentially a Nigerian thing, sadly enough some foreigners with the active connivance of few Nigerians are bent on using Nigeria as a transit ground.
He recalled that the service, acting on credible intelligence provided by international partners, announced wildlife seizure worth over N22 billion and with the arrested suspects currently facing prosecution.
Oluyemi Babajide, from the Ministry of Environment, Department of Forestry, assured that all seizures would be destroyed in line with the international laws, when the Federal Government grants such approval.
