BIODUN AKOMOLAFE
Operatives of Federal Operating Unit (FOU) of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), have sealed off the warehouses of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCo) Aviance Plc and Skyway Aviation Handling Company Ltd (SAHCOL) over alleged stolen donkey skins found in them.
As at the time of compiling this report, the facilities at the cargo terminal of Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos were still locked.
A reliable source in the Customs informed africanbusinesstravel.net that the Customs decided to seal the warehouses following a tip-off that some Chinese citizens were using some Nigerian officials to export the contraband to their home country.
It added that investigation by NCS revealed that Chinese nationals in Nigeria were using the seaports and airports to illegally smuggle Kenyan treasures to their country.
The source further told our correspondent that two Chinese had been arrested in connection with the seized items.
Further investigations by Africanbusinesstravel.net revealed that these Chinese had brought the items into Nigeria from Kenya to use Nigerian freight forwarders to finally assist them in shipping the items to their country.
When our correspondent visited the two export warehouses, they were under lock and keys while the import warehouses were operational
The sealing off of the warehouses is coming just as the Kenyan government continues to have sleepless nights over the stealing and smuggling of donkey skins by foreign nationals.
Contacted, the Image Maker of NAHCo Aviance, Mr. Tayo Ajakaye promised that he would get back to our correspondent while SAHCOL Spokesman, Basil Agboarumi confirmed the development but added that the alleged infraction is under investigations..
Recalled that NCS had in June this year arrested two Chinese nationals when they attempted to smuggle 678 pieces of elephant tusks and other prohibited items out of Nigeria through SAHCOL.
The other prohibited items seized from the suspected smugglers included eight sacks of pangolin weighing 381 kilogrammes.
The suspects’ action was said to have contravened Schedule 6 of the Nigerian Exports Prohibition List, which prescribes as illegal any attempt to export wild animals and endangered species.
The Customs Area Comptroller, MMIA Command, Frank Allannah, had said the suspects had been remanded in custody pending further investigation.
Allannah said the impounded items would be handed over to the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency.
According to Allannah, “Eagled-eyed Customs officials at the Export Shed of the MMIA intercepted the prohibited items while they were being taken out of the country by the Chinese who claimed ownership of the items.”
He continued, “Upon physical examination of prohibited items, the Chinese were subsequently arrested and are still being held in custody.”
The Customs boss stated that the elephant tusks were in two compartments of 387 unprocessed pieces, while 271 had been processed into combs and hand bangles.
