Hyacinth Chinweuba
The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone A Ikeja, has intercepted N10 billion worth of Pangolin scales in Lagos.
The Pangolin scales were recovered in an abandoned warehouse at Isheri Estate, Lagos following an intelligence report received that some Chinese were planning to smuggle the consignment out of the country.
Pangolin is one of the animals classified by the United Nations (UN) as endangered species that needs to be protected in order for the animal not to go into extinction.
Briefing journalists in Lagos on the intercepted scales, the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd), said that the consignment was intercepted by officers of the Roving team of FOU on Sunday, January 19, 2020.
According to him, based on credible intelligence received by the Comptroller in charge of FOU Zone A, DC Usman Yahaya deployed his men from the Roving Unit to investigate the information.
He clarified: “After days of painstaking under over operation, the team was able to identify the warehouse where the consignment was stored and waiting to be smuggled out of the country.
“The consignment was stacked in a 2×20 containers. The containers were immediately evacuated to the premises of FOU Zone A, Ikeja, where physical examination conducted revealed 147 sacks weighing 9,504.1kg of Pangolin scales worth N10 billion was recovered” the Comptroller General added.
The CGC, who explained Pangolin is on classified absolute prohibition list, said that Nigeria, being a signatory to Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species, placed a ban on the export of Pangolin.