Again, Seme Customs intercepts 105 wild birds worth N24m

Barely one week after intercepting 62 African parrots and a hawk being smuggled out of Nigeria through the Seme border, the Seme Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has seized another set of 105 wild birds amid attempts to import and export the endangered species through the Seme-Krake border.

Controller of the Command, Comptroller Timi Bomodi, who disclosed this at a press briefing on Friday stated that the birds have a duty paid value (DPV) of N24,912,928.

Bomodi noted that the species of birds were; 60 Green parrots, 14 Budgerigar Parrots, six Eastern Rosella Parrots, two Macaw Parrots, one White Cockatoo Parrot, four Rose Ringed Parakeets parrots, one Maidain Dock Birds, three Love Birds, and four other birds were discovered.

He, however, noted that 10 of the birds died due to the trauma of transporting them under an unpalatable condition.

The Customs boss who frowned at the criminal activity by some Nigerian citizens reiterated that trade in endangered wildlife contravenes the Convention on International Trade On Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) which is an International Agreement between Governments of which Nigeria is a signatory.

His words: “On the 27th and 28th of September at about 2100hrs and 1200hrs respectively, Officers and Men of the Nigeria Customs Service, Seme Area Command while on patrol along Seme – Badagry Expressway, intercepted a public transport bus enroute from Togo to Nigeria and another bus from Katsina to Benin Republic.”

“The examination of these buses revealed 105 birds including 10 which died due to the trauma of transporting them in this condition. Two suspects were also arrested in connection with the seizure.”

The Comptroller maintained that the perpetrators of this illegal trade will continue to meet their waterloo as long as they refuse to stay off of the Lagos – Abidjan corridor.

As part of inter-agency collaboration and synergy, the seized parrots and other birds were handed over to the officials of the National Park Service (NPS) with the Conservator of Parks, NPS Okumu, Mr. Osaze Lawrence receiving the birds for the agency.

Speaking on behalf of NPS, Osaze thanked the leadership of Customs and praised the officials at Seme Border who carried out the seizures, stressing that they have helped preserve the nation’s future.

“We are going to do our best to rehabilitate these birds. We have the equipments and skilled officials for this role. It is our responsibility to rehabilitate and protect them from further harm.”

“For those birds which were captured from the Nigerian environment, we are going to release them back to the original habitat they came from. Meanwhile, we will do thorough investigation on the imported birds and send them back to the respective nations,” Osaze said.